IHME Project 2013: Miroslaw Balka, "Signals"

The IHME Project artist 2013 is Miroslaw Balka with Signals. It is an art project carried out together with Helsinki residents. The work is realized as four Communication Points in four Helsinki districts, events with the important issues of each community at their core. An event begins with a performance of a visual signal on the city streets and continues as a verbal discussion to which all the parties concerned are invited. The project is realized during four days ie. from 4th to 7th April, 2013.

Further details of the questions, speakers, venues and dates:

1. Communication Point: Pasila and Töölö
2. Communication Point: Roihuvuori and Punavuori
3. Communication Point: Artova (Arabianranta-Toukola-Vanhakaupunki) and Malmi
4. Communication Point: Herttoniemi and Kivinokka

Eight communities were chosen through an open call to participate in the project. They will participate in four Communication points, each for one day. Tölö specialiseringsgymnasium and Pasila Community House will share their questions in the first Communication Point. The second one one will be conceived with Rööperifest and Roihuvuori District Association. Malmi District Association and Arabianranta-Toukola-Vanhakaupunki District Association will co-operate in the third Communication Point. The fourth one will gather together residents from Kivinokka Association and Herttoniemi District Association . The key issues of the districts are performed as visual signals - semaphore flag signals - in urban space. The issues are also opened for discussion and all the parties concerned are invited to attend. The day will end in an event organized by the participating communities.

The visual communication system chosen by the artist is a semaphore flag signaling system which was used by seafarers in the 19th century. The flagged signals were important messages, requests for help or emergency calls. The artist would like to suggest to newly deploy the semaphore signals to serve the special needs of communities. In the background also lies a desire to awaken discussion on how today´s society could survive in, for example, an energy crisis when our communication relies fully on electricity and new technologies.

The aim of Miroslaw Balka's Signals is to create a possibility for city residents to be heard in issues important to their districts. He believes that a democratic society gives us freedoms but also responsibilities. The task of a contemporary artist is to create opportunities for exchanging opinions and reflecting on society from a different perspective. Signals also studies the social dimension of art, the potential of an artwork to produce change. Art can enable and support thoughts through which we can imagine change and it can serve as a starting point for acts through which the change can come true.

Read more:

Miroslaw Balka introduction
Q&A with Miroslaw Balka
Semaphore flag signals, what are they?