easy living

Easy Living was an ongoing performance in B-Gallery from the 1st to 18th of August in 2024. I transformed the gallery space into my home and lived, as I would live in my home, for the period of the exhibition. I slept, cooked, read books, invited friends, watched series, did some work etc. In addition to this, I organized performances and gigs during my time in the gallery.

The length of the exhibition was so short, that I only got used to living in the gallery in the final week. I think this piece would be even more fruitful for a longer period of time, though I did gain much.

The biggest misconception about the performance, that I encountered, was that I would turn the gallery into a prison for myself. That was never the intention, though interesting that it was surprisingly widely presumed. The intention was to exhibit a social norm, bring gaze to something very normal, widely enforced behavior, that still has the inclination to be kept hidden.

I documented the exhibition in a diary by writing and pictures whilst living. If you are interested in reading it please email me alisa.alho ( a ) pp.inet.fi and I can borrow you the book. Send me your address or we can arrange a pick up.

There are some people and fun events and occasions, that I forgot to take pictures of. For example my parents came to visit from Helsinki, and especially my dad who visited twice. Thank you to both of my parents for the fun visits, and as well everyone who came by, everyone who I met, chatted with, everyone who wrote in my diary, saw the gigs, the performances, all the friends who performed, all the people who inhabited the space. It meant the world to me.

30.7 Jussi Lipasti helping me move in

31.7 Done for the opening

31.7 Opening performance Champagne performance. I walked approximately 4 meters in 30 minutes and after that I started playing Uriah Heep’s ”Easy Living” and opened two champagne bottles and served them to the guests. Picture by B-Gallery.

After 30 min. Picture by B-Gallery.

A little speech at the opening. Picture by B-Gallery.

The opening. Picture by B-Gallery.

I asked people to take their shoes off if they enter my bed!!!

1.8 1AM or 3AM anyways, first night in gallery

3.8 Mikko Sarvanne played a beautiful gig at the gallery.

4.8 Rage performance with Stella Massa. A durational perfomance, where used a method known in Gestalt Therapy, inside the heart shaped area. We had imaginary conversations (such as in my performance The Chair) with people from our lives. The room was filled with anger, yelling, hitting the chair with a towel. We ended up having a long conversation afterwards with the audience. Thank you especially to Inari and Saana for lasting the whole duration. Thank you Saana Niemi for the picture.

5.8 Isto came for lunch…

6.8 Dishes piling up over the radiator. I made a note for visitors about the fridge too. My cousin lent it to me and it was a tiny cheap popular soda branch fridge and the door was tough. It needed a push for it to stay closed.

8.8 Isto came for breakfast!!! Didn’t sleep over tho..

Picture of my log/diary/book of documentation.

My friends Vili and Vilma were passing by Turku at 9PM whilst I was having a walk and they left me a note outside the gallery because I wasn’t there. I was having a walk!!!

I love tomatoes. My friend Lisa gave me a tomato from her home island of Kemiö as a present in the opening. Someone ate it tough, that made me sad… But Lisa surprised me and brought me a new one and it was the best tomato I ate the whole summer!

In the evening… tydydy tydydy tydy, tydydy tydy…

9.8 I am a messy little hamster

Elisa came for coffee!!! Later this day Elisa and Lisa came for dinner but no photos…

11.8 Elsa and Anu for lovely chats and I bought Elsa’s new book which is incredible. Diiva räjähtää nurmikoksi!

13.8 Heli for coffee, great conversation we had.

13.8 Drinking performance with Jussi Lipasti. We drank alcohol and watched Yle Areena, the Finnish public broadcasting company’s streaming service. First we watched A-Studio, a current events program and after that volley ball. The performance was highly interactive.

14.8 A bit hungover, I made great risotto. Still learning tho.

Laura, Anna, Juha and Antti. Laura, Anna and Antti came to visit me and Juha was a new acquaintance. Juha actually came a couple of days after this again, and we had a great chat about the exhibition. It really made me generated some connections in my brain. Thanks again, Juha!

The street next to the gallery called Aninkaistenkatu has high traffic. This is a picture of the same street a bit earlier down the road. The sounds of the traffic really aroused my cortisol levels. I was so stressed.

15.8 My dear dear dear dear dear friend Sonja came from Helsinki to see my exhibition it meant so much to me <3<3<3<3

16.8 ok so on the 15th there was a poetry event organized by B-Gallery in the space. Some one had left a disposable carton cup in my trash. I hate hate hate hate hate disposable cups. Hate hate hate hate hate. I hope this message goes to the person who left it there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A really relaxed coffee break Friday with amazing Milla-Maija and Tiia and Isto. Thank you for coming by.

17.8 Someone had pushed trash from the mail shoot on the door in the middle of the night when I was sleeping. I wonder why.

Perspective from bed.

Kuukuppi in boiled water waiting to cool.

18.8 1AM or something. Isto came over to sleep it was nice! Last night aswell. I woke up in the middle of the night to someone knocking on the windows of the gallery (the curtains were closed). It gave be the creeps. I still wonder who it was.