Flashbacks of my audience.
At Laterna Magica Helsinki January 2023
Flashbacks of my audience - photography exhibition
"Flashbacks of my audience" is a performer Helena Valtonen's love letter to her audience, absent during the corona pandemic.
Performance loving Valtonen, unable to perform and starved of the energy emanated from a live audience, decided to create her own photographic audience. These photographs are her flashbacks, full of color and colorful personalities.
"I get a lot of strength from my audience and it carries with me a long time after the show. I cherish this feeling and wanted to depict the reaction of the audience to my imaginary performance - from laughter to sobs. I love photography as an art form, it is so versatile and instant way to create an image," says Valtonen.
Helena Valtonen, born in Kuopio, now lives in Vantaa and is a graphic designer by profession. This exhibition combines two of her passions – photography and performing.
Valtonen's photo exhibition "Flashbacks of my audience" can be seen on the digital screens of the escalators of Helsinki Central Railway metro station from 11 to 17 January 2023 (from 6am to 6pm) and as prints in the Laterna Magica Book Gallery in Helsinki from 11 to 28 January 2023.
Supporting the exhibition: The Central Association of Finnish Photographic Organizations, Finnfoto
Please tag my work: #flashbackshelsinki
“The audience reacts to my imaginary performance, sometimes laughing, sometimes something completely different.”
Photo: Janne Oravisto
Where?
Opening Party!
Tue 10.1.2023
We had so much fun at Laterna Magica! There was a raffle and 1 guest won 1 print.
Digital (22 pieces)
11.-17.1.2023
On the digital screens of the escalators of Helsinki Central Railway metro station from 6 am to 6 pm. JCDecaux screens run by 100% renewable electricity.
Prints (18 pieces)
11.-28.1.2023
Laterna Magica Book Gallery
Rauhankatu 7, 00170 Helsinki
mon-fri 10-17, sat 10-15
1. Who farted?
2. Quiet snickering
3. Bushy tailed and ready
4. Hazy tendency number 3 (3/6 left)
5. Bliss n' teeth
6. Juicy tail
7. Chuckler in green (5/6 left)
8. More, just more (5/6 left)
9. This one bites (5/6 left)
10. Bad hair day 1
11. Bad hair day 2
12. Immediately no
13. Anita Straw
14. Flashy in red
15. Grumpy in plaid
16. Where's the toilet?
17. Flabbergasted
18. Too loud
How much?
40 x 60 cm print - 100 €
18 pieces of photos at Laterna Magica (1 is in the window) are 40x60cm and printed at Telefoto. Paper used is Ilford Prestige Smooth Gloss, 310gsm. The backside is spray painted only in the exhibition pieces (1/6).
You can hang it easily with poster rails, but of course you can frame it too if you like, choice is yours.
Where to buy?
Laterna Magica Book Gallery at Rauhankatu 7, 00170 Helsinki. Open mon-fri 10-17, sat 10-15. You can also email Eira Sillanpää eira@laterna.net.
20 x 30 cm Silisec = acrylic glass - 300 €
Silisec is pricier than paper but it looks so shiny and bright, like a super-glazed donut! There will be 2 examples by Dialab, so you’ll see what it looks like if you want an 20x30cm piece in Silisec. I will make orders after the exhibition, so you’ll get yours in February. 6 editions in total.
Silisec® is a process used for face mounting photographs on acrylic glass. All prints are equipped with an aluminium back-frame that allows the work to be hanged. The frame is hidden and leaves the picture floating on the wall.
Numbers of the Flashbacks -exhibition
1,6
Million people will see my photos, yikes!
22
Pieces of photos
1
Year of work
Who?
Me as an image maker
I’m obsessed with color, people and comedy, this shines through in everything I do. I love discovering new perspectives on storytelling. There's always a lot to learn, but that’s part of the attraction for me.
How I started taking photos
In my day job as an Art Director, the whole path of the image, from an idea to the implementation, is always a team effort. For the longest time I have yearned for the part of the photographer. This is why shooting makes me happy, I can make the whole story, from A to Z.
The opening party at Laterna Magica
Photos taken by amazing Elisa Salomäki.
Behind the scenes material
Some of these pieces you’ll never see outside this webpage.
Fell in love with the gallery space Kirjagalleria at Laterna Magica.
First test shoot with my friends at home.
Early testings.
First prints.
Works nicely, spray painting didn't ruin the paper! Telefoto rules so hard.
Loving the reflection on the wall! Telefoto quality print.
K-Rauta 75 guys are the best! The left dude is single (they wanted me to tell you). They help always me with spraypaint.
How delicious! Dialab made these shiny Silisec-prints and I cannot wait to see them live.
Testing the Metro view.
Super-helper friend Anu Jokela
Getting there
Videos!
Test video of the Metro info screens. Thank you JCDecaux!
Metro JCDecaux info screens.
Exhibition construction done at Laterna Magica!
Downloads for media & other information
You need some photos? Great, I got them! Black and white photos of me are taken by the talented Elisa Salomäki.
For any other information, please send me a message.
