Laura Gustafsson
Laura Gustafsson is a Finnish author, scriptwriter, and playwright based in Helsinki. Her debut, a genre-bending fairytale and feminist pamphlet called Huorasatu (2011, “Whorestory”), was nominated for the Finnish Book Foundation’s Finlandia Prize. Anomalia (2013, “Anomaly”), addresses the themes of language, violence, and the imaginary line between man and beast. Korpisoturi (2016, “Wilderness Warrior”), a story about the end of the world as we know it, was a biggest Finnish export prize nominee. Her latest novel Pohja (2017, ”Ground”) is an autofiction/autopsy, it’s been called a brave portrayal of female life. Gustafsson graduated with an MA from the Theatre Academy Helsinki. She has written a number of stage and radio plays. She also gives lectures on art and writing and is actively involved in public debate. Her works have been translated to German, French and Turkish.
Terike Haapoja
Terike Haapoja is a visual artist based in New York. Haapoja’s large scale installation work, writing and political projects investigate the mechanics of othering with a specific focus on issues arising from the anthropocentric world view of western modernism. Her projects include Closed Circuit – Open Duration (2008/2013), last seen at the Venice Biennale, which focused on questions of mortality, co-existence and the relationship between humans and nature; The Party of Others project (2011), which appropriates the form of a political party in order to look at the status of other species and other groups excluded from the law. Haapoja contributes regularly to Finnish and international art publications. She represented Finland at the Venice Biennale in 2013 with a solo show in the Nordic Pavilion, and is the recipient of several prizes, including ANTI Prize for Live Art (2016), Dukaatti prize (2008), Säde prize (2009), and Ars Fennica Award nomination (2011). Haapoja is an adjunct professor at Parsons Fine Arts and NYU, New York.