Register for the ABOAGORA ”Wind” Symposium by Aug. 17!
The art and academic event ABOAGORA “Wind” is just weeks away – Register by August 17th!
This year, the ABOAGORA Symposium will discuss wind from a multitude of scholarly and artistic perspectives. The keynote speakers are Professor of Physics Andrew Coates, artivist Joan Sullivan and art historian Hanna Johansson. The event takes place at the Sibelius Museum (Piispankatu 17, Turku) on August 24–26.
ABOAGORA is an annual symposium that brings together the arts, humanities and sciences. The event consists of public keynote lectures (AGORAs) as well as various performative sessions that combine artistic and scholarly approaches.
With “Wind”, ABOAGORA continues the five-year thematic plan “The Five Rings” (earth, water, fire, wind and void), which takes inspiration from The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin no Sho, 1645) written by the Japanese samurai and philosopher Miyamoto Musashi. The event will discuss wind and air both literally and metaphorically.
The programme includes, for example, a discussion on breathing, which brings together viewpoints from yoga, religion, psychology and logopedics. The performance group Every house has a door (USA) presents a chapter from their project Carnival of the animals, which takes performance as a form of transit from science to dream and back again. The symposium will culminate in ArtTeatro’s circus art show Air, which takes place in Kustavi and features balancing, hair hanging and levitation.
By registering in advance by August 17, you will have access to all of the talks and performances. The registration fee is 40 € / for students and doctoral researchers 20 €. The registration link and the full programme are available at https://aboagora.fi/programme/ .
Open keynote talks and performances
Attending the keynote (AGORA) lectures is free of charge and does not require advance registration.
On Wednesday, August 24, Professor of Physics Andrew Coates (University College London), who has been involved in multiple space missions, will talk about solar wind and its interactions within the space beyond Earth’s atmosphere. We will also hear the sounds of winds and plasma interactions recorded on various planets.
Later the same afternoon photographer, writer and artivist Joan Sullivan will focus on the liminal nature of all energy transitions, past and present. Navigating the transition to a future fueled by non-fuels (wind, water, sun) will be easier if we have the wisdom to learn from the past. Both Andrew Coates and Joan Sullivan will give their talks remotely.
The third AGORA talk will be given on Thursday, August 25, when art historian and Dean of the Academy of Fine Arts (University of the Arts Helsinki) Hanna Johansson will speak about the ways and means visual arts present and represent the element of air. How can the almost invisible air be brought into the scope of visuality and sensuality?
In addition to the AGORA talks, the Många Röster – Many Voices performance at the Arken building (Tehtaankatu 2, Turku) on Thursday, August 25, is also open for all free of charge. Created with inspiration from a discussion between political scientist Nanuli Silagadze and composer, singer and theologian Frank Berger, the piece accentuates the themes of democracy and dictatorship, combining poetry, music and street theatre.
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ABOAGORA is organized by the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, the Donner Institute for Research in Religion and Culture (connected to the Åbo Akademi University Foundation) and the Arts Academy of Turku University of Applied Sciences. The project is supported by the Kone Foundation and the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland (Svenska kulturfonden).
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at aboagora@utu.fi!
With best wishes,The ABOAGORA Curatorial Committee