We think of planets that carve their inevitable orbits, relaxedly. They are perfect. The space around them is dense, filled with everything. We imagine ourselves there. We are there, and all this is true. The planets are true.
Planets do not lie is a dance performance inspired by the actualities of perceiving space. It is a dance of emptiness, devoid of earthen and personal loads. The meanings and connotations flash into and out of existence akin to falling stars, free from the chains of symbols and words. The presence is immediate. The gravitational arcs drawn into the space by the bodies of flesh, sound, and light put out all that is petty, low, and hierarchical.
The choreographer-dancers Jouni Järvenpää and Maija Reeta Raumanni’s work Planets do not lie premiered at Contemporary Art Space Kutomo in Turku in March 2025. In July of the same year, the piece was adapted to the exhibition space of the Oulu Art Museum as part of the museum’s collection exhibition Imagine Abstract. In addition to Järvenpää and Raumanni, the artistic working group includes lighting designer Antti Helminen and sound designer Anssi Laiho. Planets do not lie is the fourth joint work by Järvenpää and Raumanni searching for the abstract in dance. Their previous works are Arrangements of Ruins and Visions (2013), The White Whale (2015), and The End (2017).
PLEASE NOTE! The performance is not wheelchair accessible. The audience will be located on the stage where the access is via staircase.
Age recommendation 13+
Content warnings contains scenes with loud noises and flashing lights.
Lighting design: Antti Helminen
Sound design: Anssi Laiho
Production: Ehkä-production, Jouni Järvenpää and Maija Reeta Raumanni
Supporters: Arts Promotion Centre Finland, City of Oulu/Oulu Valistustalo Fund, and City of Turku
Pre-photos: Even Minn
Performance photos: Satu Kemppainen
Premiere: 7.3.2025 Contemporary Art Space Kutomo, Turku
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