Archive for February, 2009

Bye bye Brussels, see you all @ Helsinki in september

Monday, February 23rd, 2009
Meanwhile here elsewhere: we have been faced with some extreme criticism (or constructive analysis) towards the -length- of our jolly good show. For example: the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf Folke Hubertus has most likely been heard of mentioning in public to the Germany’s new Federal Minister for Economics and Technology, Mr. Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg, that the performance was excactly 4′33 minutes too long, while having some more tea,  Karl-Theodor thoughtfully had or had not replied  ”no, we want to see some strip dance!” wether then Mr. Colonel Count Claus von Stauffenberg possibly said out loud to née Donna Paola Margherita Maria Antonia Consiglia, Princess Ruffo di Calabria,Scheiße, Scheiße! They should have cut at least all the stupid parts out!” at exactly on the same nasal helium voice tone as Pertti “Veltto” Virtanen of the “Basic Folk of Finland” accused Direktor Smeds of being Finnish Swedish.    

 
  Anyhow! For all of you and everybody else too we are now more than proud to present: Mental Finland; the last Brussels performance (in 2009!) just in 40 seconds. Now also available in full HD glory, whateverthatmeansnowihavetogopée.



money money money

Friday, February 20th, 2009

rahapalaa

Quite lot of attention from media and concerned taxpayers has been on the budget of our mental finnish brand shining jorney. Fear not! Yours truly will now put some light on the hot subject. 

So why is it that all this cost over half million euros? Is it all the special effects and stunts? Are we eating some special expensive bananas? Are we now super rich? Answer for all this is unfortunately no.  Simply put: we have employed almost 20 freelancers (actors, dancers, designers .etc) for about 5 moths, full time, full salary. So there you have it. Most of the money spent! Then add travel for 11 people from Finland to Brussels and back for 2 times plus accommodation. We have created jobs for finnish and international artists, and their salaries will soon return back to the capital flow via heavy personal consumption (nahkatakki, anyone?).

Is this really the most expensive stage production in Finland, ever? No it is not. It is big and expensive, yes, especially for an “outlaw” independent production, but depending how you calculate it any major production on National theatre or Helsinki city theatre mains stages easily exceed this sum.

…And for the concerned Finnish taxpayers: Finnish part of the budget is most kindly primarily funded from Suomen Kulttuurirahasto and Aflred Kordelin foundation - two private foundations mostly handing out profit from Nokia stocks, and OPM, ministry of education, which gives out earnings from the national lottery. On top of that comes a sum from City of Helsinki and co-production from the Finnish national theatre, both of them  indeed do get their money mostly of your back skin. But that’s just about 10% of the total budget. There. Kiss kiss puss puss and thanks for everybody one more time.


Additional comment on the subject by mr. Smeds himself

Praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster!

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Arrrrgh been lazy bloggers as all the champagne and positive press has made us proud and dizzy. But here we go again.

We, the real artists, aren’t really so much into the press reactions, as our ultimate and only motivation to create work is to praise and please our noodly goodness, the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

touchedbyhisnoodlyappendage

BUT for those of you who are - we spare some googlin’ trouble by choosing the nicest random cherries from the top. Thank you very many!

Suomeksi - in Finnish
http://www.turunsanomat.fi/kulttuuri/?ts=1,3:1005:0:0,4:5:0:1:2009-02-14,104:5:593440,1:0:0:0:0:0: 

http://www.uusisuomi.fi/kulttuuri/50165-arvio-mental-finland 

http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/artikkeli/Belgialainen+ensi-iltayleisö+järkyttyi+Smedsin+teatterista/1135243479091 

In not so important misc languages:
http://www.expatica.com/be/lifestyle_leisure/arts_culture/Just-when-you-thought-it-was-safe-to-go-back-into-the-sauna_13622.html

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/iMental+Finlandi+premiere+amazes+Brussels+theatre+audience/1135243509669

http://www.lalibre.be/culture/scenes/article/481657/les-derniers-gaulois-sont-finlandais.html

http://www.lesoir.be/culture/scenes/scenes-mental-finland-au-kvs-2009-02-10-689582.shtml

http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/459132 


 

What is Mental Finland really about? Mistä Mental Finlandissa on oikein kyse?

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

If you are here to find out, what is this Mental Finland and mr. Kristan Smeds really about, I recommend starting from this good article by Ivo Kuyl.

Jos koetat juurikin saada selville mistä Mental Finlandissa on oikein kysymys ja mitä Smeds oikein keilailee, suosittelemme lukemaan tämän Janne Saarakkalan artikkelin. Lisäksi Suomen Kuvalehden juttu viime kesältä “Smedsin teesit” ladattavissa tästä .PDF -muodossa. Ei muuta tänään, moi!

Kuvassa DJ Kekkonen - Pictured here: DJ Kekkonen

Kekkonen kekkonen kekkonen kekkonen

Mental TV broadcasts from the Brussels premier!

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

A full house featuring a debut by Dj Kekkonen! Thank you very many everyone, it has been very super nice journey. Eiku lissää paskaa housuun!


Mental Finland TV - Brussels premier 2009

Ready, steady…

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

The last rehearsal, last try out, last aftermath, last supper… all went according to plan yesterday: technically high class stuff but pretty low on energy. Mental Finns are simply done with the rehearsal process. And saving all their adrenalin for today’s Big Bang Broadcast. Stay tuned!

Floating in the atmosphere

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

The KVS photographer Bart Grietens came to see the try outs last weekend and fell in love with the show. He also captured very well the blue relief we’re all feeling being so close to the goal.

Eleonore aka Leo aka Leksa underwater with Domenico

Lexa being carried by Milton, Dome, Laura and Ana

What’s Mental Finland?

Monday, February 9th, 2009

In a Meet the Artist event that was recently held at the Finnish Seaman’s Church we finally found the answer: “Mental Finland is a dark or black, but very humoristic comedy or tragedy”. Any further questions?? Resumee of the event is available here in Finnish.

Counterphotographing continues, we took a picture of our Meet the Artist audience:

…and in this occasion also an enormous KIITOS to the Finnish community of Brussels, specially to all the wonderful people at the Benelux Institute, the Finnish Embassy and the Seaman’s Church (who would still let us use their sauna department… hmmm, we’ve exceptionally been behaving well). Thank you so incredibly many!!

Behind the scenes it’s calm and bubbling

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

This weekend brought along the try outs - first real and not only mental audience contact. Nice calmness mixed with concentrated excitement all over… We’re almost there!

The container can always be repainted just a little

Jurate and our dresser Nicole getting everything ready in the KVS costume atelier

Tommi and HP were so relaxed they decided to put up a flee-market on backstage just before the show

To be on the safe side we also forbid animal feeding during the try outs

Some really serious stuff for a change

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

 

“Theatre as a public sauna” - Interview of Kristian (in front) by KVS dramaturg Ivo Kuyl

This text was originally carried out in Dutch for Etcetera, the  Magazine for Performing Arts, nr. 115, february 2009:
www.e-tcetera.be

Ivo Kuyl
Theatre as a public sauna

An interview with Finnish theatre maker Kristian Smeds

The theatre of Kristian Smeds is strongly embedded in society. It reveals hidden realities and is striking due to its especially powerful and energetic style. He usually writes his pieces himself or radically revises existing texts. He has received just about all the recognition a theatre maker in Finland can, especially since his most recent production Tuntematon Sotilas (Unknown Soldiers). He just founded the Smeds Ensemble, a small nomadic company that is open to international collaboration and that aims to travel in Finland as well as other countries.
(more…)

Never trust the media honeybunnies, we’ll tell you the one and only truth

Friday, February 6th, 2009

I think we were very succesful in confusing the local journalists in our mental press event last Tuesday.


some more counter photography - they are always photographing us, now we revenge!
 
Here a link to TV brussels TV spot about Mental Finland - works with varying result

… and as a plus pic of HP as he is such a funny guy

Things are getting seerrrrious on planet Mental Finland

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Kristian and Jean are hiding something behind the curtain…

…the last run thru without audience! A slight but nice tension at the KVS on Wednesday night. Still some technical problems to be solved and a couple of interesting question marks hanging in the air. The process continues, hasta la victoria siempre!

Everybody amurt or whatwhat?

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

So what do you think, is this a party in Mental Neverneverland, one of the many demonstrations in Brussels or perhaps love at first sight?

…whatever the scene is about, HP for sure knows how to show his emotions:

edit:  This what happened in the end - HP someone went mental and biguru was lost!

Extend your body man!

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

A big production like Mental Finland requires a lot from everybody. With some real Finnish sisu, we’ve already managed to strech our dancers beyond their normal length.

Self-defense Against Fresh Fruit

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

Some time in the afternoon Herr Director went totally Mental Bananas and decided to do all the parts him self. Here you can see his erotic new art shit mental riverdance. Roger and out.


Smeds Ensemble on Vimeo.

Tommi is now Jussi or the other way around

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

Our Tommi “sexmachina” Korpela (pictured here in his underwear) is now called Jussi. Or something. I really could not concentrate reading the news properly as I had to go peepee. Anyways  now I have to go again. Did not mean to write that… Im off! 50/60

Aftermath, quasi jazz, punk, poetry & more

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

The absolutely fabulous Bridge bar on the corner of the KVS has probably doubled its income since we came. A perfect place for having a nice cold cushbur after the rehearsals, but also for freaking out in a true Mental Finland Saturday Night Fever style. Kiitos ja anteeks, we’ll be back!

First tango in Brussels

Poetry girls Ana & Eva
 

 

…and Tarja

Hassisen Kone was yesterday, today the Thing is Nummisen Kone!