Aboagora 2015 – Precious Moments, Extreme Events

The aim of the symposium is to generate discussion between arts and sciences and to develop productive dialogue on the significance of time – or, rather, of moments. In the modern world, information moves faster than ever before. Slow, global processes of transformation, such as climate change, cause increasing alarm, but extreme and sudden events also have the power to completely change our perspective in mere seconds. In the midst of such change, interest in memory and individual’s experience of time has grown. Definitive moments and turning points have the power to affect the individual’s lives and societies. Extreme events can traumatize whole nations, yet the lives of individuals can be turned upside down in a single moment, in the blink of an eye.

FULL PROGRAMME

(For the registered guests – event sold out!)

Main location: Sibelius Museum, Piispankatu 17, 20500 Turku
(Alternative venues are mentioned separately)
Please click the headlines for more information!

TUESDAY 11th AUGUST

DAY 1 – Moments

9:00–10:00
Registration and Coffee

10:00–11:30
AGORA: Tiina Rosenberg: Speaking Up in Precarious Times: A Reflection on Arts and Humanities, Professor, Stockholm University / President of the Central Arts Council of Finland (FIN/SWE)

11:30–13:00

Lunch (at own cost)

13:00–15:00
Workshop 1 / When Life Ends
Professor Terhi Utriainen, professor Douglas Davies, biologist Ilari Sääksjärvi & theatre director Otso Kautto with Dramatized Death Ritual: Ritual Time, Life Looking at Death (Quo Vadis Theatre)

15:00–15:30
Coffee

15:30–18:00
Workshop 2 / Floating Platforms*
Encounters between Performance Art and Science
Riitta Rainio (sound archaeology, University of Helsinki) & Juha Valkeapää (sound and performance art)
Installation open from 12:00, sound disco at 15:30-18:00
PLACE: The Old Market Square Cellar
Vanha Suurtori 5, Turku

Evening programme by Turku Music Festival:

18:00-19:00
Concert: Estonian Voices. Linnateatteri, Linnankatu 31, (Tickets 25,5/20,5€)

20:00–21:00
Concert: Evening Music at the Cathedral, Turku Cathedral, Tuomiokirkonkatu 1 (free entry)

WEDNESDAY 12th AUGUST

DAY 2 – Experiences

11:00–12:30
AGORA: Umayya Abu-Hanna: The Long Longing to Belong Journalist and writer (FIN/NL)

12:30–14:00
Lunch (at own cost)

14:00–15:30
Workshop 3 / Revolution
Chair: Professor Mika Ojakangas (University of Jyväskylä)
Professor Peter Hallward (Kingston University): Continuing the Revolution: Jacobin Principles of Democracy
Comments: Janne Porttikivi & Timo Pankakoski

15:30–16:00
Coffee

16:00–17:30
Workshop 4 / Science Café: Quantum Arts Jam
QUANTUM COMPLEXITY: Dr. John Good & Dr. Libby Haney
DIAGRAMS OF LOVE: Prof. Sabrina Maniscalco, Sibel Kantola & Minna Aalto
BIG BANG TANGO: Prof. Esko Valtaoja & Fabrizio Mocata

17.30–18:00
Coffee

18.00–20:00
Workshop 5 / Floating Platforms*
Encounters between Performance Art and Science
Kaisa Henttunen (cosmology) & Leena Kela (performance art)
PLACE: Observatory, Vartiovuorenmäki
Starting point for the joint walk to the Observatory in front of the Sibelius Museum at 18.00

THURSDAY 13th AUGUST

DAY 3 – Extremes

9:00–10:30
Workshop 6 / Gregorian Singing in the Turku Cathedral (Agricola Chapel) WORKSHOP FULL!
Max. 30 people can participate in the singing workshop session, please enroll during registration!

10:30–11:00
Coffee

11:00–12:00
Workshop 7 / Touching, Tasting, Hearing and Seeing. Sensorial Experiences in the Feasts of St. Thomas Aquinas
Marika Räsänen, Hilkka-Liisa Vuori & Johanna Korhonen

12.00–13.30
Lunch (at own cost)

13:30–15:00
Workshop 8 / Floating Platforms*
Encounters between Performance Art and Science
Mia Rönkä (biology) & Kurt Johannessen (performance art)

15:00–15:30
Coffee

15:30–17:30
AGORA: John D. Barrow: Is Our Universe An Extreme Event? FRS, Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge University; Professor of Geometry, London Gresham College (UK)

17:30–18:00
Conclusion

18:15-21:00
Reception

Evening programme by Turku Music Festival:

23:00-00:00
Concert: Turku Night of Arts: Music by Candle Light at Turku Cathedral, Tuomiokirkonkatu 1 (Tickets 22,50/17,50/11,50€)

 Changes in the programme are possible. We reserve the right to changes.

*Floating Platforms is a one-year collaboration project with New Performance Turku Festival funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation. More information about the project and the performances in Aboagora symposium can be found here.