Ithaca College

Wednesday, March 23, 6:00 pm: Artist Talk by Otto Karvonen
Handwerker Gallery

Otto Karvonen will speak about his work on view in the current exhibition at the Handwerker Gallery, NO/GOOD PLACE, and answer questions about his practice and ideas.

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Otto Karvonen is a Finnish artist who makes various kinds of interventions in public spaces – these include occupying urban sidewalks, confounding people’s expectations with playful street signs or in “coming soon” signs placed in empty storefronts, and letting a bunch of skateboarders dressed in private security guard uniforms loose into the streets of Helsinki.  Karvonen describes his work as situation-specific: each project begins with a multifaceted, associative study of the context – especially temporal but also spatial – in which his performance or installation will occur. His work produces a short-lived dislocation of everyday routines, thereby raising questions about political, economic, religious and social concepts, and about occurrences that relate to the location of the work. Karvonen’s methods and actions are modest and non-spectacular. His frequently humorous or ironic interventions, devoid of blatant or coercive statements, provoke ‘glitches and switches’ in our perception of everyday reality and our generally accepted views. His work might appeal to community members interested in art, power, and social change.  

Installations: http://www.ottokarvonen.com/main/index.php/installation 

Actions: http://www.ottokarvonen.com/main/index.php/action

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All Handwerker Gallery events are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.; Thursday, 10.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.; and weekends, noon to 5.00 p.m.. The gallery is closed to the public on Tuesdays unless otherwise specified for an event but can accommodate group or class visits by appointment.

For further information or individuals with disabilities requiring parking accommodations, please contact Mara Baldwin at mbaldwin@ithaca.edu or 607.274.3548. Please make requests for accommodations as far in advance as possible.