Street art-workshop called "Neighbor-secrets/ Naapurisalaisuuksia" planned by Heidi Hänninen, artist specialized in wall painting and (concrete) sculpture was implemented at Rovaniemi 2-15.9 as a part of the X-border Biennial. During the workshop all participants got to know Cyrillic alphabets by using sprayed "code-language" straight on the public walls in Rovaniemi city-center. In the workshop different stereotypes and experiences concerning personal relations with our huge neighbor- country Russia were discussed and these ideas were painted on the legal walls by using uniformed stencil-fonts and professional spray-paints.
There were 4 different spots to be painted all together. Non-stop workshop at Lapinkävijäntie (in front of the Rovaniemi art-museum, Korundi) was implemented during the Night of arts 6.9 (Taiteiden yö). There everybody was welcome to take part while passing by the legal graffiti-wall of Lapinaukea. Eight grade students from Rantavitikka school came to paint there too.
Concrete-wall at parking lot in between Santa Claus hotel and Cafe-bar Kauppayhtiö was carefully designed and painted by art students from University of Lapland.
Tuhat-Tori flea market's wall at Harrikatu 2 and terrace at Kauppayhtiö were painted by students of Rovaniemi Art-school (Kuvataidekoulu).
All groups made great job and were excited about the technique. For some it was the very first time of using spray-cans. For many this workshop was also the first real touch with Russian language and culture/life. Most of them had not ever even visited Russia, even though they might have had school-mates and close friends partially Russians. There were also few participants who have their own Russian roots - so they have learn the Cyrillic alphabets at home.
It was great to hear that after the workshop some participants were even planning to start Russian language studies some day- maybe- even though before they might have had some prejudices...
I was happy to take part in X-border biennial's art pedagogy- program and glad to see the results that are now resonating with the brand new mural made by biennial's artist Carolina Falkholt at Kauppayhtiö's big wall. Maybe Rovaniemi will be the new Berlin one day...who knows!
I'll post photos of the ready walls later, but here you can see the starting points and the process :)
Heidi Hänninen: http://www.heidihanninen.com/