Pilvi Takala, a Finnish artist, typically trespasses in smaller microcosms, using herself or hired actors and a hidden camera to document a single, subtle act of transgression of established social conduct. In doing so, she unsettles the unspoken rules of these ambiguous societies. Takala, with her unassuming but stubborn demeanour, has just the right tenor of awkward tension and implicit danger. When watching her videos, it’s easy to forget that she is not breaking any specific rules (though the person secretly filming her may be at risk). Like artists such as Sophie Calle, Adrian Piper or Andrea Fraser before her, she tests the boundaries of how threatening or non-threatening a young female artist violating social codes can be.
External Links:
- Her official website: http://www.pilvitakala.com/
- For a further reflection on her works by Frieze Magazine: http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/pilvi-takala/