Artist-in-Residence in November: Jaakko Heikkilä
Jaakko Heikkilä started working as a photographer in the 1990s, interpreting the cultural scene in the Tornio River Valley, at the Northern border of Finland and Sweden. Ever since then Heikkilä has expanded his photographing trips to other minority communities in various parts of the world.
Heikkilä experienced his first New York residency period in fall 2001. He felt honored to be the first artist-in-residence at the Institute's Lorimer Street apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. "During my first stay in New York I got to know a really nice family in Harlem. The husband, David, once suggested I photograph his block--West 150th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. I told him that I would do it if I could also find a place to live in that street. Since 2001 I have spent almost every year a couple of months in Harlem, photographing and filming the people of that certain block. David has always been the one to organize me a room to stay in. It has been kind of community work, which I am quite specialized in as an artist."
During his residency period this year Heikkilä is planning to continue his work in Harlem. "The first thing I'll do is to go to 150th Street. I will hear the latest news from David and Cora (David's wife): how is the family, how is Joe, and how are Sam and Cheryl doing. Then I will lower my head slightly at the door of St Nicky's dark pub on St. Nicholas Avenue at the corner of 149th Street and step in. I will drink a glass of red wine and check out if the old buddies are around. After that I can start pondering over next things to do."
Earlier this year Heikkilä's photographs were exhibited on New York's Governors Island in conjunction with the exhibition Bodies, Borders, Crossings.
