Mikko Niemistö: The Tormentor
In collaboration with "Moving in November"
"The Tormentor" a builds up as a weird and sacrilegious clown performance—a solo that creates cracks in this archetypical theatrical character and places it in the frame of contemporary choreography.
In the piece, choreographer Mikko Niemistö draws from his past studies of physical theatre, fusing them with his practice of associative and improvisational movement practices. Inspired by dances, traditional clown routines and the upside-down world of carnival, the work draws from historical manifestations of clowns and jesters, from medieval carnivals to Finnish pre-Christian and monstruous pagan figures.
The work is part of the "On the Move in November" festival, November 5–15, 2026. As part of the festival, Niemistö will engage in a discussion with a local artist at an open "Soup Talks" event on November 10 at 12:00 p.m. at Caisa.
BIO
Mikko Niemistö is a choreographer and performer based in Helsinki. He creates stage pieces where contemporary choreography and theatricality engage in dialogue, often with a special focus on sound and music. He graduated as a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography from Stockholm University of the Arts in 2017. In his works, Niemistö explores the formulation of the self through silent knowledge and the accumulation of bodily memories. He focuses on the shadows zones of everyday reality such as dreaming, psychedelia and the supernatural experiences, and the supernatural.
During 2026–2027, he is embarking on an artistic journey that aims to revisit and deconstruct his backround in physical theatre and the corporeal and historical manifestations that it brings to light.
Niemistö’s works have been shown at venues such as the Zodiak – Center for New Dance, the Moving in November, and the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Arts in Finland, Inkonst in Sweden; the far° festival in Switzerland; at CCN de Caen en Normandie France, and at the ImPulsTanz International Dance FEstival in Austria, where his solo work Odd Meters received the jury's special mention in the [8:tension] Young Choreographer’s Series jury in 2022.
Production Information
Choreography and Performance: Mikko Niemistö
Sound Design: Johannes Vartola
Lighting Design: Sofia Palillo
Costume Design: Siru Kosonen
Clowning and Bouffon Mentors: Andrés del Bosque and Taina Mäki-Iso
Production: Mikko Niemistö and Soili Huhtakallio
Co-production: On the Move in November
Residencies: MDT, Ehkä Productions & Kutomo Contemporary Art Space
In collaboration with: Mad House Helsinki & The Reality Research Center
Supported by: Kone Foundation
Photo: Katri Naukkarinen
Photo: Katri Naukkarinen
