Egle Oddo’s Performance at the Presidential Palace in Finland

The interview was conducted by Lori Adragna

The critical situation has led many institutions to struggle, forcing them to reduce their activities. This reality concerns several countries across Europe and beyond, cuts to culture are paired with cuts to health, education, transport and the whole public sector, become a worrying trend supported at large by austerity politics. In Berlin, for example, the municipal government has announced 12% cuts to the cultural budget for 2025, a decision that will have a devastating impact on public institutions and independent artistic projects. In Finland, the right-wing government has announced significant cuts to the cultural sector, reducing funding by around €17.4 million for 2025. These cuts will hit theaters, schools, orchestras and museums, putting the country’s cultural vitality at risk. In the US, people doesn’t know anymore what to expect, after the hyperbolic announces of cuts impairing the whole public sector. What does all this have to do with art? What can art do in the face of these cuts?

To raise public awareness, the Italian-Finnish artist Egle Oddo created a performance highlighting the importance of culture and the devastating impact of budget cuts. This example resonates in many countries, dominated by irresponsible governments, where the cultural sector, schools, and health are facing similar challenges. *CUT THE CUTS! is a seemingly simple performance, but as often happens in performance art, a daily gesture that normally disappears in the repetitiveness of habit, is redeemed and becomes an artistic form, taking on disturbing connotations that make us reflect. We talked about it with the artist:

Lori Adragne (L.A.) Tell us how the project was born

Egle Oddo (E.O.): The Independence Day of the Republic of Finland (6.12.2024) is a very important day in the history of Finland. It is celebrated in every home while in the streets traditionally groups of Nazis parade challenging the many citizens who do not want to see the atrocious symbols of the violence of the past celebrated on the day dedicated to the whole country. On the same day, the residence of the President of the Republic of Finland opens to welcome 1700 highly selected guests who have distinguished themselves in the fields of science, art, finance, sport, and are somehow considered worthy of representing an ideal Finland. The invitation is very exclusive and the reception is followed live on national TV for hours by the entire country. This year many academics and figures from the cultural world have declined the invitation, as a form of dissent towards the Government. I decided to participate because being absent seems equivalent to being silent and simply leaves more room for destructive policies.

L.A.: How did you feel about receiving such a prestigious invitation?

E.O.: Thanks to the awarding of the State Prize for Multidisciplinary Art to our institution, Myymälä2, the composer Timo Tuhkanen and I were invited to celebrate at the President's residence. On the one hand, it was an exciting moment to receive the invitation, because it represents the tribute of an honor that highlights our work in the cultural field, on the other hand, it generated great perplexity. How could we participate in the celebration while around us that same government was dismantling piece by piece all the conquests made over the centuries for public health, for the right to education, culture, information, mobility, work, with what spirit was it possible to celebrate, but above all, celebrate what?

L.O.: Did the evening have a theme?

E.O: Yes, every year the Presidential party at the palace is organized according to a theme chosen by the First Lady, this year it was: the community. Since 2008 the international community of cultural workers has been fighting to oppose the austerity policy that, while cutting funding to public services, is actually creating a regime of total absence of a dynamic public forum dedicated to critical thinking, creation and expression.

L.O.: Tell me about the movement formed by cultural communities?

E.O.: In Finland the movements Sakset Seis! (trans. Stop the Scissors!), Mitta on Täysi (trans. The Measure is Full) and Arts Against Cuts, have mobilized to block the austerity policy, which is heavily damaging the working class and the middle class, creating poverty and inequality without solving any structural problem. Both I and my organization are active participants in these initiatives. We have implemented numerous strategies, including a petition with more than 100,000 signatures that was sent to the Government on National Independence Day.

Unfortunately, the media tries to ignore or create diversions so as not to provide coverage, and the same parties responsible for defending workers' rights, seem incapable to find their political muscle throughout Europe, US, and beyond.

L.O.: In this climate, how did you come to think of a performance?

E.O.: Several famous personalities of the cultural field began to give interviews declaring that they would not participate in the celebration, due to the evident contradictions. In my case, I felt the urgency of a significant participation, and it seemed an opportunity to usurp the space that the media prefers to dedicate to fashion rather than politics, to gossip rather than content. We wanted to move the media attention towards the social pain that we were reporting with colleagues involved in the dissent movements. To the cry of "You cut, we bleed!" groups of workers on the streets chose scissors as the symbol of their dissent, to signify the instrument of financial cuts, at the same time the refusal to suffer those cuts. With these elements in mind, I decided that I would transform my participation into a performance and this was the only sensible way to be present, as an individual, as an artist, and as a representative of an institution.

L.O.: Was your project inspired by past Performances?

E.O.: Nothing happens entirely for the first or the last time. Possible references along the same semantic lines can be found in Marina Abramović’s performance, Obamabramovic, which took place in New York on September 25, 2014, where in a very elusive but iconic way, the performer crossed paths with President Barack Obama, right after Future Feminism at The Hole. Obviously, the great artist did not miss the opportunity to create an energetic hub, just by catalyzing the aura emanating from high culture, and the aura emanating from the powerful president. In 2006, Roi Vaara performed Golden Handshake, at the vernissage of Hits exhibition at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. “Golden shake” is an expression that refers to the custom of corporations to highly remunerate the severance of managers who have created advantages and profits for the shareholders. Vaara, standing on a dais, attired and with one hand completely gilded, spent the whole vernissage shaking hands with those present who approached him, thus also recalling the custom known to all Finns who follow it on television, of the long line of guests shaking hands with the President, as they enter the Palace on Independence Day.

L.O.: How did the action and its narrative develop?

E.O.: CUT THE CUTS! is a performance created exclusively for a body present at the residence of the President of the Republic of Finland during the Independence Day. In this sense, the performative action, however simple, is unequivocal, and it is highly unlikely that it will generate future reiterations. As soon as I received the invitation, I had a month to prepare my performative action, for which I immediately created the concept and commissioned a red costume from fashion designer Suvi Hänninen. After being admitted to the castle, President Alexander Stubb and his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb receive guests on the red carpet with a handshake. And it is this gesture that I addressed., with a direct and unequivocal visual message. I shook hands with the President and the First Lady wearing long black gloves with the silhouette of a pair of red scissors, creating a conceptual connection between our hands. Who and what exactly is being cut? By cutting culture, politics ends up erasing and cutting itself first of all, since no political idea or action can operate without a cultural substrate. The message was captured by countless viewers of national TV, by politicians, and by colleagues in the art sector. Immediately after the event, Timo Tuhkanen made some statements on the cultural connotations of the gesture:

"What I do know is that I have never believed in running away or resigning, I have no go-bag or escape plan, I am in your face and I refuse to leave."

In a context where numerous governments are dismantling citizens' rights with very heavy cuts to the public sector, including education, health, transport and culture, it is not easy to imagine celebrating the new year with serene passivity.

Credits:

Idea and performance: Egle Oddo

Sinergy to the performance: Timo Tuhkanen

Dress and styling: Suvi Hänninen

Photo: Sami Mannerheimo

Hair and makeup: Sumi Moreno, Chola

Earrings: Christian Lacroix

Necklace: Franco Bastianelli per Laurana

Ring: Seppo Tamminen, Charwinettescloset

Bag: Schiaparelli

Shoes: & Other Stories

Link video documentation of YLE, national finnish television (at minute 1:00):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t4CPg0V2egMh8JkjvLlNqZLcM7349GrZ/view?usp=sharing

An Italian version of this interview was published on Art a Part of Cult(ure) https://www.artapartofculture.net/2024/12/30/egle-oddo-performance-contro-i-tagli-alla-cultura-intervista/ 

All Images: Egle Oddo & Timo Tuhkanen, Performance 2024 – Photo: Sami Mannerheimo