AMORPH!03-PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL 29.-31.8.2003

[Anna Balint]

From: amorph <amorph at muu.fi>

Amorph!03 presents:

?SUMMIT OF MICRONATIONS?  Helsinki 29.-31.8. 2003

http://www.muu.fi/amorph03

The 7th Amorph! performance art biennale will host the first ?Summit of
Micronations?. In August 2003 kings, presidents and representatives of ?self made? countries will meet each other for the first time in Helsinki. The Principality of Sealand, Ladonia, NSK-State, Kingdoms of lgaland&Vargaland, Transnational Republic and State of Sabotage have agreed to join the summit.
Against the convention of international summits Amorph!03 encourages active participation of the public.

Amorph!03 is unique both as a performance art festival and a political event.

The opening ceremony of Amorph!03 will take place on August 29 in Finlandia House, which hosted the legendary CSCE (aka KSZE) conference in 1975. During the following days the micronations will open temporary embassies  at Harakka island. Here the public can get detailed information about the micronations, their histories, state of affairs and policies. Some micronations will even accept applications for citizenship. During the festival the state representatives will give public lectures and host festivities. On August 30, 2003, the ?State of Sabotage? will be declared accompanied by the unveiling of
a monument designed by HR Giger.

Amorph!03 has additionally  invited a great variety of artists and
intellectuals  to contribute to the festival with their works to further
excavate the questions relevant to the phenomenon of micronations.

Micronations
The term ?micronation? has been applied to almost anything from invented kingdoms, model states, cybertopias, libertarian oases to real existing miniature states. Each micronation attempts in its own way to create a zone of autonomy. They nevertheless differ strongly with respect to the requirements of Statehood: population, territory, government, legality, independence, sovereignty and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. Some of them even challenge the definition of statehood itself. Philippe Laserre has pointed out that ?the phenomenon of micro-nations can be located between a joke
and a serious vision of the future?.

Micronations attending the Amorph!03 summit have proclaimed constitutions, established their own laws and monetary systems, and possess state symbols such as passports and flags. Some of them have reached a high degree of sovereignty over a very small territory. Others do not possess a territory at all and thereby transcend national borders operating on the same level as transnational corporations or NGOs. Simply put, both positions might begin to address the familiar contention that the nation state might be too big for small problems,
and too small for big problems.

Program
Friday  29.08. FINLANDIA HALL ? HELSINKI SALI
19:00 Opening Gala: Micronations, Huutajat (FIN), Roi Vaara (FIN), Magician
Manuel Muerte (GER), children?s performance, Taliesin Denning (UK)
20:30 Reception

23:00 TAVASTIA CLUB: Laibach (National orchestra of NSK)

Saturday 30.08 HARAKKA ISLAND 
12:10-12:40 Guided Tour
13:00-14:30 Declaration of State of Sabotage: Unveiling of HR Giger?s sculpture
and concert of Philipp Quehenberger.
15:00-16:00 Transnational Republic-performance
16:30-17:30 Sealand-performance
18:00-19:00 Elgaland-Vargaland-performance
19:00 Schurkenessen-performance

SUNDAY 31.8. HARAKKA ISLAND
13:10-13:40 Guided Tour
14:00-15:00 Ladonia-performance
15:30-16:30 NSK-performance
17:00-17:45 Jouni Partanen-performance
18:00-19:00 EstoTV show
19:00 Schurkenessen-performance

Both days Non stop at Harakka island:
Huutajat interventions
11:30-18:00 Peter Callesen: The audience is welcome to the watercastle
12:00-18:00 Micronations? embassies open for public
12:00-18:00 Susan Kelly: Lobby
12:00-18:00 Rise of Nations-game hall

Tickets
Finlandia-hall 5 eur
Harakka 1 day: 7 eur (includes the ferry)
Harakka 2 days: 12 eur (includes the ferry)
3 day ticket: 15 eur
Tavastia: 20 eur (Tiketti tel. 0600 11616)

How to get to Harakka:
Ferry from Café Ursula(Kaivopuisto) 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00,
15:30, 16:00, 17:00, 17:20... until 24:00



Amorph!03 Artists
Laibach (NSK-State),
Men Choir Huutajat (Finland)
HR Giger (Switzerland)
Esto TV (Estonia)
Roi Vaara (Finland)
Schurkenessen (Germany)
Peter Callesen (Denmark)
Susan Kelly (Ireland)
Mika Hannula (Finland)
Jouni Partanen (Finland)
Taliesin Denning (UK)
Manuel Muerte (Germany)

Concept & Curating
Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta

Production
MUU ry / Mirva Pulkkinen & Timo Soppela.

Publication
The publication will present the necessary material and basic details to
comprehend the phenomenon of micronations. It will be released in cooperation with MUU ry, NIFCA and The Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki, and it will be distributed by Revolver, Frankfurt. The publication will be available in the beginning of August 03.

Supporters and Cooperation Partners
The Finnish Cultural Foundation, City of Helsinki Cultural Office, Ministry of Education, Cultural Foundation for Finland and Sweden, Cultural Foundation for Finland and Denmark, The Danish Embassy, Nordisk Kulturfond, NIFCA, Kiasma, Academy of Fine Arts, Pro Helvetia, The Swiss Embassy, The Slovenian Embassy, Annantalo, Lainapeite, Artprint oy

Contact:
MUU ry
Mirva Pulkkinen / Timo Soppela
Nervanderinkatu 10
00100 Helsinki
Finland

Tel. +358 9 625 972
amorph at muu.fi
http://www.muu.fi/amorph03