Teemu Mäki
Encyclopedia
Teemu Tuomas Mäki is a Finnish
artist. A student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki, in 1988 Teemu Mäki became notorious in Finland for a video-installation Sex and Death, which includes a segment in which he killed a cat
and masturbated over the cat's dead body.
In 1991 Mäki was convicted of fraud and animal cruelty due to his giving an affidavit to a local animal rescue center, that he would treat the animal well and would not kill it without the rescue centre's permission. The court of appeal concluded, that the cat did not die quickly enough due to the poor quality of the axe used. The controversy was renewed in 2004, when the modern art museum Kiasma
bought the video for its collection. After the second uproar in 2004 Mäki wrote an essay about the subject.
Mäki has worked in various visual media including painting
, drawing
, sculpture
, photography
, video installation
, installation
as well as being a prolific writer, a successful choreographer, musician and internet-artist.
In 1997 Mäki was rewarded by the Finnish Artist Societys Palokärki award. Mäki received a Doctorate of Art from the Finnish Art Academy in 2005 and since 2008 has been Professor of Visual Art at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki.
Since 1989, Mäki's work has been exhibited worldwide. In addition to his various group shows, he has taken part in more than thirty Solo shows, has work in several public collections, has received numerous public grants and has published numerous books and articles.
Mäki sees himself as a moral relativist, atheist, vitalist and socialist
. He has campaigned against criminalization of prostitution
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
artist. A student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki, in 1988 Teemu Mäki became notorious in Finland for a video-installation Sex and Death, which includes a segment in which he killed a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
and masturbated over the cat's dead body.
In 1991 Mäki was convicted of fraud and animal cruelty due to his giving an affidavit to a local animal rescue center, that he would treat the animal well and would not kill it without the rescue centre's permission. The court of appeal concluded, that the cat did not die quickly enough due to the poor quality of the axe used. The controversy was renewed in 2004, when the modern art museum Kiasma
Kiasma
Kiasma is a contemporary art museum located on Mannerheimintie in Helsinki, Finland. Its name kiasma, Finnish for chiasma, alludes to the basic conceptual idea of its architect, Steven Holl. The museum exhibits the contemporary art collection of the Finnish National Gallery founded in 1990...
bought the video for its collection. After the second uproar in 2004 Mäki wrote an essay about the subject.
Mäki has worked in various visual media including painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, video installation
Video installation
Video installation is a contemporary art form that combines video technology with installation art, making use of all aspects of the surrounding environment to affect the audience. Tracing its origins to the birth of video art in the 1970s, it has increased in popularity as digital video production...
, installation
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
as well as being a prolific writer, a successful choreographer, musician and internet-artist.
In 1997 Mäki was rewarded by the Finnish Artist Societys Palokärki award. Mäki received a Doctorate of Art from the Finnish Art Academy in 2005 and since 2008 has been Professor of Visual Art at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki.
Since 1989, Mäki's work has been exhibited worldwide. In addition to his various group shows, he has taken part in more than thirty Solo shows, has work in several public collections, has received numerous public grants and has published numerous books and articles.
Mäki sees himself as a moral relativist, atheist, vitalist and socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. He has campaigned against criminalization of prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
.