Ihmisen Jälkeen
Together with
Margo Nowicka, we collaborated with the director, Teemu Mäki, on the content of the visualisations by using the artificial intelligence models and generative simulations. With the incorporation of the tools of new media, we strived for a manifestation of the ideas of posthumanism that is more subtle and sensitive - that is not confined to telling a story about artificial intelligence and digitial life, but tackles the questions of the human condition raised in the play.
I crafted a series of visual stories in which the actors were "aged" using custom-trained AI models to generate various interpretations of how their appearances might evolve over time. This component was crucial to the piece, given that the opera’s core narrative was about how different intelligent forms could create life from scratch.
You can read more at Helsingin Sanomat, Kone Foundation, and Teemu’s page.
Credits
Composition: Max Savikangas
Libretto & direction: Teemu Mäki
Conductor: József Hárs
Choreography: Petri Kekoni
Costume design: Iida Ukkola
Light design: Erno Seppälä
Sound design & sound tech: Anders Pohjola & Max Savikangas
Video (& generative video): Teemu Mäki (& Calvin Guillot, Małgorzata Nowicka)
Choirmaster: Jonas Rannila
Répétiteur: Jussi Littunen
Realisation of costumes: Jenni Räsänen, Iida Ukkola
Decor & props: Teemu Mäki (with Mikko Ängeslevä)
English translation: Ida Hansen & Teemu Mäki
Producers: Nea Huovinen, Max Savikangas
Marketer: Ida Hansen
Production: Finnish Chamber Opera, artistic director Reetta Ristimäki
Partners: Aalto University, MAGICS, Greta Productions & Petri Kekoni Company
Performance photos: Maarit Kytöharju (& Teemu Mäki)
Program leaflet: Nils Krogell
Solo singers:
Reetta Ristimäki, soprano - Birch
Susanna Tollet, mezzo soprano - Fog
Petri Bäckström, tenor - Machine
Tuukka Haapaniemi, bass - Child
AI - sample library
Dancers:
Meri Pajunpää & Anna Stenberg - Dark Matter & Dark Energy
Choir (Vety & Helium):
Heta Kokkomäki, soprano
Nairi Azezian, mezzo soprano
Martti Anttila, tenor
Jussi Linnanmäki, bass
Chamber ensemble:
Martta Jämsä - flute, piccolo and alto flute
Vivian Neff - clarinet and bass clarinet
Olli-Pekka Tuomisalo - saxophones
Tuomo Lassila - percussion
Fanny Söderström - piano and keyboards
Maria Puusaari - 1-violin (concertmaster)
Aleksi Kotila - 2-viulin
Maarit Holkko - viola
Pinja Nuñez - cello
Vilhelm Karlsson - double bass