KAIHO SERIES – Pilar Mata Dupont

The Kaiho Series” by Argentian/Australian artist Pilar Mata Dupont is a video based triptych relating to the concept of the ’kaiho’.

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MEDIA RELEASE

Pilar Mata Dupont’s lecture
Pori Art Museum lecture hall, 24.09.2014, 6:30 PM. Free admission.

The Kaiho Series is a video triptych by Australian artist Pilar Mata Dupont, exploring the concept of longing (kaiho in Finnish). The trilogy was filmed across Finland between 2011 and 2013 and is having its Finnish premiere at the Pori Art Museum.

Kaiho I

Explores Finnish tango and its culture. The lyrics in the work are adapted from the Kalevala and memories of spousal loss shared with the artist by an elderly man. Pilar Mata Dupont created the work during her residency at Arteles in Hämeenkyrö.

Kaiho II

This piece was created in Finland in 2012. The artist developed its narrative by merging the Kalevala’s story of Aino with Karelian folklore and personal memories collected from Finns. A lament in the sauna was developed in workshops with authentic lament singers, each of whom sings her personal story of loss and yearning. The work also examines the reinterpretation of Finnish mythology, particularly its use by right-wing radicals to bolster nationalist sentiment. This is represented by the seductive figure of the Swan of Tuonela, which protects the afterlife from non-Finns, hums Sibelius’ melodies, and toys with a Finnish lion pendant—a symbol frequently used by right-wing nationalists.

Kaiho III

The third part was inspired by an interview with director Kristian Smeds, in which he discussed his stage adaptation of Väinö Linna’s The Unknown Soldier. In the interview, Smeds noted that if one wishes to see Finns express passion, one only needs to mention the Winter War or Finland’s 1995 ice hockey World Championship victory against Sweden. This part examines the similarities between war and sports-related thinking, exploring the nationalism and patriotism they generate, as well as themes of personal loss and sacrifice. It also reflects on how the Winter War and the 1995 ice hockey victory shaped Finnish culture. References include wartime speeches by Mannerheim and Churchill, Mikael Granlund’s lacrosse-style hockey goal, Kalevala’s Aino, and the 1977 film Slap Shot starring Paul Newman. This work takes a faster-paced, more playful departure from the earlier parts of the trilogy, juxtaposing the concept of longing with nostalgic achievements of the past.

Pilar Mata Dupont: Kaiho Series

• Kaiho I (2011/12, HD, 3:47 min)
• Kaiho II (2012, HD, 16:50 min)
• Kaiho III (2013, HD, 7:00 min)

Translated with ChatGPT