Jonne Pitkänen (b.1972) is a Finnish artist based in Kouvola, Finland working with sculpture, Vj-performance, painting,installations, jewelry art, circuit bending and new media art. He is experimental and resourceful in his art using his expression in these different art forms. In his works he carries out intuitively and playfully a critical view of oneself, as well as about values and paradoxes of popular culture and “instant effect society”. The key themes in the works of Pitkänen are the use of recycled materials and new entities created from of everyday objects and devices.
Pitkänen has graduated from art school Maa 2007 and has continued his studies in C: Art: Media MA program (Valand School of Fine Arts) in Gothenburg, Sweden. The main focus of the program is to study and implement computer software and interactive interface opportunities in contemporary art.
Currently Pitkänen works as a freelance artist in Kouvola, where he is also a founding member and a curator in yearly Wasteland festival and Ars Lieke, electronic art exhibition in Kouvola Art Museum. Main artistic work has been as a Vj with bands such as Death Hawks, Circle and PH, Esa Kotilainen and the development of analog live visuals devices. He is also a founding member of RASi 637 art and music residence space in Tirva, Kouvola.
STUDIES 2009 C:Art:Media master program, Gothenburg, Sweden 2003-2007 Art school Maa 1998-2000 Art foundry Valu-Sampo 1996-1997 Art center ILJA-WEST SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2015 Hydor, National light festival of TAIKE, Kouvola 2014 Current Flux II media installation, Galleria 3H+K, Pori 2013 Current Flux I media installation, Kouta gallery, Kouvola Art Museum 2010 Plastic/Trash/Urethane installation, Kouta gallery, Kouvola Art Museum 2009 Gallery Busch, Berlin, Germany 2007 Gallery Maa-tila, Helsinki 2004 Kontupiste, Helsinki
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2018 Huhdasjärven ympäristötaidenäyttely, Jaala 2018 RASi 637, Kouta Gallery, Kouvola Art Museum 2016 Jättömää art and music festival, Kouvola 2015 Landscape-Metropolis, Gallery G11, Berlin, Germany 2015 Reunion, Poriginal gallery, Pori 2014 Reunion, Porvoo Art Hall 2014 Rakkaudesta, gallery Oyoy, Lahti 2013 LARU, Natural intelligence, environmental exhibition, Helsinki 2013 Jättömää art and music festival, Kouvola 2013 KronFest,"Bunny at the beach" Eco art festival, St. Petersburg/Kronstad, Russia 2013 Ars Sippola, environmental exhibition 2012 Express, Fluid gallery, Helsinki 2012 Pauses in Temporal Current, Atelierhof Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany 2011 Intersection, Freies Museum, Berlin, Germany 2011 Jättömää art and music festival, Kouvola 2010 (Random Doctors), Baltic Biennale, Small Manezh gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2010 Ars Sippola environmental exhibition 2010 Jättömää art and music festival, Kouvola 2010 Min Kouvola-ITE,aktiivinen, interaktiivinen, Kouvola Art Museum 2009 Rotor II galleria, Gothenburg, Sweden 2008 (SWAP/VAIHTO), Bureau galleria, Salford, England, Cable Factory, Puristamo, Helsinki 2008 Kluuvi gallery, Helsinki City Art Museum 2007 Kato kato kiiltomato, gallery Maa-tila, Helsinki 2007 Linnunlaulupuu ja muita teoksia, Rovaniemi Art Museum 2006 Faces festival, Billnäs 2005 Mustan Maijan kuuma munkki, Vuotalo, Helsinki 2004 Soukanpohja, environmental exhibition, Espoo 2003 ”Encontros”, Galerie Nunes art and design, Helsinki 2003 KORU1 biennale, South Carelia Museum, Lappeenranta SELECTED PERFORMANCES 2014 Sahastra, Jättömää art and music festival, Kouvola 2014 RoTLC Ars Lieke Club, Rytmikatti, Kouvola 2013 RoTLC Media Facades, Helsinki Festival 2013 RoTLC KronFest, Eco art festival, St. Petersburgi/Kronstad, Russia 2012 RoTLC Pori Festival, gallery 3H + K, Pori 2012 RoTLC, Kesähäät, Jättömää art and music festival, Kouvola 2012 RoTLC, Pauses in Temporal Current, Atelierhof Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany 2012 RoTLC, Things, The Art Foundation, Athens, Greece 2011 RoTLC, Freies Museum, Berlin, Germany 2010 Lihatehdas, Jättömää art and music festival, Kouvola 2006 KUU-MAA group Space of the global, performance festival, Cable Factory, Helsinki 2005 KUU-MAA group, La-Bas performance festival, Cable Factory, Helsinki 2004 La-Bas -performance festival, gallery Jangva, Helsinki
SELECTED Vj artist PERFORMANCES
2018 Esa Kotilainen, G LiveLab, Helsinki, Death Hawks, Suomen kiertue, Lauri Porra Flyover Ensemble, April Jazz, Espoo, Esa Kotilainen, Sideways Festival, Helsinki 2017 Death Hawks, Hexvessel, Kairon Irse (Finnish tour), Tallinn Music Week (World Clinic Stage), Swart Night Seremonia, PH, Bar Loose, Helsinki, Joutomaa Fest, Kotka, Death Hawks (European tour) 2016 Flow Festival (Other Sound Stage Vj/visuals artist) Death Hawks (European and Finnish tours), RASi Mela, Kouvola 2015 Death Hawks (German, Finnish tours), Flow festival (Hisko Detria, Lasten Hautausmaa, Have You Ever Seen the Jane Fonda Aerobic Vhs?) Jättömaa Festival, Circle (Finnish tour) Roadburn Festival, Tillburg, Netherlands 2014 Sahastra, Barcelona, Spain, Flow Festival (Other Sound Stage Vj/visuals artist) Death Hawks (European tour) Fight the Night 2 Festival (Psychedelic Warlords, UK) 2013 Flow Festival (Other Sound Stage Vj/visuals artist) 6. Aisti Festival, Helsinki (Mika Vainio, Mr Peter Hayden, Hexvessel, Death Trip) Ääni Festival, Kuopio 2012 Flow Festival, (Other Sound Stage Vj/visuals artist) Jättomaa Festival (Circle, Keuhkot), The Souls (Finnish and Baltian tours) 2011 Flow Festival, Suvilahti, (Other Sound Stage Vj) Esa Kotilainen/Soiva Tehdas, Yle TV Teema/Suojele Minua, Tourist Trap, Horst Krzbrg, Berlin Germany
2010 Flow Festival, Helsinki (Circle, Uusi Fantasia, Ville Leinonen ja Majakan Soittokunta) Ville Leinonen ja Majakan Soittokunta (Provinssirock, Ilosaarirock, Simerock), Esa Kotilainen/Neum, Kuusankoskitalo 2009 Irresistible District art and music festival, Suvilahti, Helsinki Prickly pea Bowls and Duna Jam Festival, Sardinia, Italy, Siren, Festival of experimental music, Artisten, Gothenburg, Sweden 2008 Swap/Vaihto, Islington Mill, Manchester, England Duna Jam Festivaali, Sardinia, Italy, Flow Festival, Suvilahti, Helsinki 2007 Pikseliähky Vj Jam, Kiasma theatre, Helsinki, Pink Projector, Ruisrock, Turku, PunkD Festival, Stancowice, Poland 2006 UMF New Music Festival, Turku, Carelian Faces, Petrozavodsk, Russia, 2006 UMF New Music Festival, Turku, Carelian Faces, Petrozavodsk, Russia, Pikseähky Club, Umo Jazz House, Helsinki Psychotrophic Caravan festival Vj 2009-2011 Om (USA), Aqua Nebula Oscillator (France), Gunslinger (UK), Steel Mammoth, Circle, Lord Vicar, Dark Buddha Rising, Orange Goblin (GBR), The Pharaoh Overlord... + ELECTRIC WIZARD (UK) FLESHPRESS, SWALLOWED
TEACHING 2011 Kouvola Folk School, sculpture, metal jewelry, video 2007 metal jewelry, Suomenlinnan työsiirtola 2006 metal jewelry, Suomenlinnan työsiirtola 2006 metal jewelry, Art school MAA, Helsinki PUBLIC ART WORKS 2012 Kontula sculpture 2011 Kontula sculpture 2005 Kontula medal 2004 Kontula award 2002 Tarmo award (Saku Koivu) MEMBERSHIP MUU RY, Random Doctors VJ collective (founder) Jättömaa RY (founder) Kouvolan Taiteilijaseura RY
LINK/ARTICLE/INTERVIEW
KOUVOLAN SANOMAT – TAITEILIJOIDEN JOULU
KOUVOLAN SANOMAT – ME VARPUSENPOJAT
