‘Site-specific’ has been used for any theatre performance happening outside of a typical theatre space, but, following Lehmann’s notion (1999), the site-specific performance also highlights its environment in a new way. The question the arises how a theatre piece taking place via the Zoom application casts a new light on its sites: the homes of its performers and its spectators. In the lecture, Kenneth touched upon three interlinked topics featured in the artistic research process which resulted in the performance Kohta (‘Spot/Soon’) in April 2021:
Drawing on the pragmatist notion of habits (see Dewey 1922), the performers rehearsed new habits in their homes. In the performance, the spectators were invited to situate themselves in a place similar to each performer. This sharing of space, remotely and in spots echoing one another, while dissimilar, made the spectator rethink their habits in their environments. During the pandemic, the idea of home as safe has been taken for granted. In Kohta, the home was transformed into something unknown. With webcams shrouded by gel filters, the performers stayed in the colour green (cf. Bergson’s [1934] idea of duration), their living rooms being transformed into the seafloor, a grandma’s house, or a cloud of nerve gas, depending on the interpretation. Therefore, with art entering everyday life and everyday life becoming art, the performance played upon the aesthetics of our everyday experience. Restrictivists might suggest that the aesthetics of everyday revolve around a sense of routine and even dullness (see Haapala 2015, Naukkarinen 2013, Puolakka 2018). I argue that Kohta supported an expansionist view of aesthetics, with everyday life opening into new possibilities and, between the kitchen window and the bathroom floor, extending into the realm of imagination.
Kenneth Siren is a doctoral candidate at the Theatre Academy of Uniarts Helsinki. Kenneth often creates their performances through devising processes with the dramaturgy alternating between poetry text, movement, and audience participation. A qualified theatre teacher, Kenneth has taught at the Theatre Academy and multiple local theatres. Kenneth has lectured extensively on the topic of gender diversity – a theme that often features in their artistic works.
Education
Selected artistic works
Seminar presentations