Roles to Make or Break

WHEN: Saturday February 2-9/08  (Thur-Sat 11-5)

WHERE: DON’T LOOK Experimental New Media Gallery 419 New Canterbury Rd (Near Marrickville Rd), Dulwich Hill, Sydney

CONTACT: Greg Shapley – Ph: 0401 152 434 EMAIL: dontlookgallery@gmail.com WEB: myspace.com/dontlookgallery

ROLES TO MAKE OR BREAK – Sari TM Kivinen

Can reality reproduce perfection? Will perfection shatter at its own reflection?

In her exhibition, “Roles to Make or Break”, Sari TM Kivinen challenges the roles that are faced in the mundanity of everyday life; roles that are imposed by gender, family, society.

“Mimic” is a work that centres on the determination to fulfill a role and breaking free from a role through destruction. In this work, Kivinen attempts to mimic perfectly two ceramic faces in one video piece, and in its stark counterpart, destroys them.

“Self Determined” is an intensively created work, developed from two hours of video footage in which the artist, in front of the camera, sat alone, read books, played games, listened to music, watched television and ultimately, drank a bottle of red wine. The final result on film is only the aftermath of this binge, an erratic but intimate episode of self destruction.  “Self Determined” explores the pressures of fulfilling roles and the desperation for distraction that ensues, such as alcoholism.

Kivinen practices as a performance artist, but has produced art in various mediums, including many works in the video art medium. Kivinen has previously performed at Don’t Look Gallery under one of her three personas that have been the basis for many of her works over four years. Kivinen’s exploration of roles and performance in her current exhibition takes a different direction, creating an intimate and confronting experience for those who seek it.