Alexandra Mitiku: For Every Home, a Stone
Every ritual is a state that transforms the body, and vice versa;
if a person is fully present, the ritual reflects reality without distractions;
it becomes a mirror.
For every home, a stoneis a ritualistic meditation on how the land, people, and home are being traded for development that exploits natural resources. The title refers to Korean stone towers known as 돌탑/
*, in which each stone is placed as a prayer, a memorial, or to leave a mark of one’s presence. These structures can be hills that conceal their contents, towers reaching to the heavens, or piles of three stones symbolizing the past, present, and future.
Each 돌탑/doltap serves as a bridge or a tension between the metaphysical and the material. Inspired by Deborah Levy’s term “unreal estate,” this presentation explores whose dream homes become concrete reality and whose homes remain in a state of limbo between memory and algorithm.
The stones used in the performance were collected from construction sites in the Helsinki area, as were the other materials used in the set design. These raw materials, originally intended for concrete structures, are placed in a new context; within the spell cast by mythopoetics, processed soundscapes, and movement, their original purposes are deconstructed and alternative resolutions are presented.
taken, scattered, and gathered anew;
to the rhythm of the song, the stone crumbles, the sand shifts;
the threads bend in the four cardinal directions
After the performance, the audience is invited to write on the stones with ink. Before leaving and after having tea, everyone wipes away some of the ink.
The performance changes every day—through the arrangement of materials, the words written and erased, and the food.
*Although this presentation focuses on 돌탑/doltap, stacking stones is a common practice in many cultures and on hiking trails around the world. This practice can be seen as a way to build a small home for your wishes.
**This term appears in Levy’s novel *Real Estate*.
Working Group:
Artist, poet & performer: Alexandra Mitiku
Sound designer, musician & performance artist: Saana Pohjonen
Production: Mad House Helsinki & Center for the Study of Reality
Supported by: Kone Foundation
Bio
Alexandra Mitiku (b. 1992) is a Korean-Ethiopian artist and poet who uses the concept of paradise as a starting point to explore migration and imperialism, with a particular focus on the role of imagination and desire.
As a form of world-building, she creates modern mythologies by connecting stories from the past with current realities. Materiality is the central theme in her work and is often inspired by the poetry she writes. Created primarily from organic and recycled materials, her works serve as bridges between memory, landscape, and the body.
Saana Pohjonen (b. 1995) is a sound designer, musician, and performance artist. She plays the drums and uses her voice, along with other instruments, in combination with electronic music production to create sonic worlds. Music is a microcosm, a space of limitless experience and interpretation, a place to confront the world or find solace in it.
Photo: Armando Tranquille
