Pilvi Takala

Finnish artist Pilvi Takala has set up a fake start-up company to gain access to SLUSH, a three-day conference event and self-celebration for venture capitalists in Helsinki. A world of inflated power talks, civilised aggression and illusion, where the most important thing is that you believe in the whole thing yourself.

The Stroker refers to the nickname Pilvi Takala received during her two week intervention at Second Home, a trendy co-working space in East London. She went around lightly touching people as part of a cutting-edge well-being programme. The nuances of movements and looks demonstrate how people negotiate 'acceptable behaviour' in the workspace.

The Stroker refers to the nickname Pilvi Takala received during her two week intervention at Second Home, a trendy co-working space in East London. She went around lightly touching people as part of a cutting-edge well-being programme. The nuances of movements and looks demonstrate how people negotiate 'acceptable behaviour' in the workspace.

The Stroker refers to the nickname Pilvi Takala received during her two week intervention at Second Home, a trendy co-working space in East London. She went around lightly touching people as part of a cutting-edge well-being programme. The nuances of movements and looks demonstrate how people negotiate 'acceptable behaviour' in the workspace.

The Stroker refers to the nickname Pilvi Takala received during her two week intervention at Second Home, a trendy co-working space in East London. She went around lightly touching people as part of a cutting-edge well-being programme. The nuances of movements and looks demonstrate how people negotiate 'acceptable behaviour' in the workspace.

In “The Committee” 8 to 12 year old children explain how they decided to spend 7000 pounds. They discuss the process of decision making and the values guiding their decisions. The children are 11 regulars at a youth center in Bow, London, and were invited by the artist to spend her Emdash Award budget, normally aimed towards production of art work for Frieze Art Fair. The children were free to spend the money any way they wanted as well as to choose how to make decisions in a group.

Broad Sense is based on an three day long intervention in the European Parliament in Brussels. The video reveals the diversity of security responses to the artist’s visits.

Broad Sense is based on an three day long intervention in the European Parliament in Brussels. The video reveals the diversity of security responses to the artist’s visits.

Broad Sense is based on an three day long intervention in the European Parliament in Brussels. The video reveals the diversity of security responses to the artist’s visits.

Broad Sense is based on an three day long intervention in the European Parliament in Brussels. The video reveals the diversity of security responses to the artist’s visits.

The absurd logic of the ‘real character’ and the extreme rules of Disneyland become apparent when a real fan of Snow White is banned from entering the theme park dressed as Snow White.

The absurd logic of the ‘real character’ and the extreme rules of Disneyland become apparent when a real fan of Snow White is banned from entering the theme park dressed as Snow White.

The absurd logic of the ‘real character’ and the extreme rules of Disneyland become apparent when a real fan of Snow White is banned from entering the theme park dressed as Snow White.

The absurd logic of the ‘real character’ and the extreme rules of Disneyland become apparent when a real fan of Snow White is banned from entering the theme park dressed as Snow White.

The absurd logic of the ‘real character’ and the extreme rules of Disneyland become apparent when a real fan of Snow White is banned from entering the theme park dressed as Snow White.

Artist Pilvi Takala goes undercover at a marketing department. Her intention was to do nothing until she was fired; hidden cameras catch the bewilderment with which her co-workers react to this.

Artist Pilvi Takala goes undercover at a marketing department. Her intention was to do nothing until she was fired; hidden cameras catch the bewilderment with which her co-workers react to this.

An elderly lady pushes the limits of customer service at an up-market department store by continuously requesting announcements for interesting-looking men.

A young man in a tram is asking a bit too much from a stranger.

A young man in a tram is asking a bit too much from a stranger.

An overdressed girl tries her luck in dance events that are for Finnish tourists in a small Estonian health resort town, Pärnu.

Workers’ Forum is an animated message conversation, the idea for which developed from Takala’s experience as a micro-tasker in the United States, in which she worked for a service where users pay to have a pretend girlfriend or boyfriend texting them. Through a crowdsourcing platform, the artist responded to the task ‘Write a text message that is positive, engaging and convincingly written in the voice of someone texting a significant other.’ The video is based on conversations that took place in a discussion forum between the micro-taskers, trying to figure out together how to be an invisible partner. Micro-taskers receive small chunks of large jobs as part-time workers, offering a cheap supply of labour for online enterprises.