Mia Makela (a.k.a SOLU) is finnish media+live cinema artist, teacher, investigator and cultural activist
residing in Barcelona.


foto: Ana Labudovic

Her trajectory has led her from shamanistic studies to art. From art to media art and design. From media art to organization of events and workshops on contemporary digital culture. As part of fiftyfifty.org collective (until 2002), she organized Hacker Techniques workshop, Gameboy soundlab, Playtime event amongst ther activities.
She has given lectures on various themes including robots, audiovisual culture, tactical sound and her own artistic work. She has written articles on different subjects, including Vjing and Micromusic (Repellent Magazine). Her discussion with Vanni Brusadin was published in “Anarchitexts-Essays in Global Digital Resistance” (2002).

In 2004 she launched dorkbot.org in Barcelona presenting people who do strange things with electricity every other month in the local gallery Metronom. Her latest ocupation is PUBLIC.BCN which concentrates all her audiovisual activities under the same label (workshops, events, AVcommunity, site-spesific projects, ideas....)

She started performing visuals as part of audiovisual improvisational band called DADATA in 2001 and after the dissolution of the group she continued as SOLU. She has collaborated with many experimental musicians including Heidi Mortenson and Dj Rupture. With Mortenson she opened Transmediale festival in Berlin 2004 and performed at Zagreb Biennale of Music, Cimatics-festival in Brussels and Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki (2003). She has also performed at various other festivals including SONIC ACTS in Amsterdam, SONAR festival in Barcelona, AVIT in Birmingham, MAPPING in Geneve and TRANSIT_MX in Mexico City.

Her experimental music videos have been widely exhibited in festivals around the world: Xfest, Impact, Sonar, etc. Her style ranges from minimal abstractions and strongly processed material to multilayered ambiental landscapes. She processes her visual material with MAX/MSP/JITTER and other programmes like Isadora.

In 2006 she published her thesis on LIVE CINEMA language and elements, (Medialaboratory, Helsinki) which gathers her experience on realtime visuals. Her latest workshop titled ”Audiovisual Realtime Creation” took place in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Finland and Mexico.

Mia Makela a.k.a SOLU
www.solu.org | solu@solu.org

CV 2000-2006

EDUCATION

MA IN NEW MEDIA 2006
Helsinki University of Art and Design
3 months exchange in L'ATELIER (Paris)

BA OF ARTS 1996
Tampere School Of Arts and Communications

SELECTED PERFORMANCES

2007
01/ Caixaforum. Barcelona
02/ RECMadrid. Madrid
03/ National Museum of Women in the Arts. Washington
05/ Roxy Bar & Screen. London
05/ MODULATE Sonic Culture Salon. Birmingham
06/ WJs invited quest performance. Netlach. Bilbao
08/ CAMP-Württembergischer Kunstverein. Stuttgart
08/ SAT. Montreal
09/ Punto y Raya Festival.Madrid
09/ State of the Image. Arnhem
09/ Ars Electronica. Linz
11/ mp7. Barcelona
11/ Vive Para Cumplirlo. Madrid
12/ BYTEME!. Perth

+ visuals with Teatro Concervas:REALIDADES AVANZADAS
Barcelona, Gijon, Polverigi

2006
03/ Femelek. Barcelona
06/ TVJAM. Vitoria
08/ LIVE CINEMA NIGHTS. San Jose
08/ Interactive Screen. Banff
10/ Visionica. Oviedo
10/ Monkey Town. New York
10/ WhiteTvlabel party. Montreal
12/ AKME. Bilbao


2005
01/ Facultad de Bellas Artes, Barcelona
03/ FEMMES. Hasselt.Belgium
04/ AVIT.UK - 4x4 event ,Birmingham.UK
04/ MAPPING - VJ festival, Le Zoo. Geneva
04/ Nits Digitals - cicle d'arts electròniques, Vic.Spain
05/ IN-SOMNI FESTIVAL 2005, Girona.Spain
06/ Visuals for Dani Pannullo street dance theatre, Madrid. Spain
06/ Test Portal - International Now-Art Exhibition, Amsterdam
07/ TIME OF MUSIC 2005,Viitasaari. Finland
07/ EXIT FESTIVAL, Novi Sad. Serbia
08/ STROBE - festival de video creació. Spain
08/ VJ FESTIVAL C/O POP 2005, Cologne. Germany
09/ OFF-International Computer Music Conference, Barcelona. Spain
11/ NETLACH, Bilbao.Spain
12/ TRANSITIO_MX, Mexico City.Mexico

2004
01/ TRANSMEDIALE opening+TMclub, Berlin
02/ Automaten Bar, Berlin
03/ STITCH&SPLIT-Selves and territories in science Fiction, Barcelona
04/ ANYWARE-Streaming event Barcelona-Kitchen, New York
06/ Mostra 4a de Sonora y Visual, Barcelona
06/ SONAR 2004, Barcelona
06/ GIST,University of Bremen.Germany
07/ Offf-festival, Valencia.Spain
07/ 10DAYSOFF/4DAYS ON, Gent.Belgium
09/ FIUMFOTO, Gijon.Spain
09/ SONIC ACTS, Amsterdam
11/ MOTIVES -Now sounds of jazz, Genk.Belgium
12/ Dorkbot, Madrid.Spain

2003
02/ Automaten Bar, Berlin
04/ CIMATICS, Brussels
04/ PIXELACHE, Helsinki
04/ Zagreb Music Biennale, Croatia
04/ Rhiz, Vienna
05/ Offf-festival, Barcelona
05/ Weblog performance, Galeria Metronom, Barcelona
05/ Rainbow Warrior Greenpeace Boat, Barcelona
06/ WRONG FESTIVAL, Barcelona
06/ SONAR 2003, Barcelona
08/ Media Mediterranea 5, Pula.Croatia
08/ 320*240 Video Lab Camp, Vis.Croatia
08/ Cromjka, Ljubljana, Slovenia
10/ Cinedays, Brussels
10/ Canarie- Internet2 streaming event, Barcelona-Montreal

2002
04/ ERRRRRORCLUB, Barcelona
06/ WRONG FESTIVAL, Barcelona
06/ SONAR 2002, Barcelona
11/ Tr@ns_mix-Streaming event, Barcelona-Brussels
11/ Immigra_beta_test-Streaming event, Barcelona-Buenos Aires
12/ MUSICAEXMACHINA, Bilbao.Spain
12/ SHARE, NYC

2001 * ALL EVENTS WITH DADATA
02/ ARCO, Madrid
02/ Sidecar, Barcelona
05/ Primavera Sound, Barcelona
08/ Nouveau Casino, Paris
08/ TERRORTAINMENT, Stubnitz boat, Rotterdam
10/ VIDEA, Barcelona
12/ SONIC ACTS, Amsterdam

2000 * ALL EVENTS WITH DADATA
11/ VISIONS DE FUTUR, Girona+ Lleida, Spain
11/ DEAF, Rotterdam
12/ FORMAT B, Torino.Italia

PRESENTATIONS

2007
05/ Presentation on Gender, Art and Tehnology. Espacio Francesca Bonnemaison.Barcelona
06/ Round table discussion on Collective Creation Online. Netlach. Bilbao
08/ Presentation on live cinema. SAT. Montreal
08/ Presentation on my work. Württembergischer Kunstverein. Stuttgart
09/ Presentation on live visuals. State of the Image. Arnhem
09/ Presentation on live cinema. IMA Theory Salon. Ars Electronica.Linz
11/ presentation on live cinema. LIVE CINEMA Event. Caixaforum. Barcelona

2006
03/ Presentation on my work. Bellas Artes.Barcelona
05/ Presentation of Remscapes installation. Helsinki
06/ Discussion on realtime audiovisuals with Sergi Jorda. UPF.Barcelona
06/ Presentation on "La vida del videoartista".Fórum FNAC. Barcelona
08/ Presentation "Remains of post-cinematic image". Banff Centre of Arts
08/ Presentation "User vs. patcher/programmer". Banff Centre of Arts
08/ Presentation on LIVE CINEMA. Studio22. Birmingham
10/ Presentation on LIVE CINEMA, Visionica.Oviedo
10/ Presentation on transversal art, ArtechMedia.Palma de Mallorca
11/ Discussion on LIVE CINEMA with Jaygo Bloom, Poker Club. Edinburgh

2005
03/ Talk on VJing, ELISAVA, Escola Superior de Disseny.Barcelona
06/ Presentation on my work, REALTIME seminar, SONAR2005.Barcelona
07/ Presentation on AV-culture, TIME OF MUSIC event, Viitasaari.Finland
10/ Presentation on my work + realtime AV-culture, MEDIALAB MADRID.Madrid
10/ Presentation on my work, FLACC-Image Forum, Genk.Belgium
11/ "I NEED A HERO" reflections on robots in movies, NETLACH, Bilbao. Spain

2004
07/ Presentation on VJculture, 10 DAYS OFF/4 DAYS ON, Gent.Belgium
07/ Round table on Audiovisuals, Offf-festival, Valencia.Spain
06/ Presentation on my work, GIST symposium, Bremen.Germany
10/ Presentation of Dorkbot, ART FUTURA, Barcelona

2003
08/ Presentation on my work, Media Mediterranea 5, Pula.Croatia
04/ Round table on VJculture, Pixelache, Helsinki.Finland
04/ Presentation on digital art scene in Barcelona, Mama,Zagreb.Croatia
05/ Presentation about tactical sound, Media Space Invaders,MACBA, BArcelona

2001
Presentation on PASSenger-cdrom, IMPACT Festival, Utrech.Holland
Presentation on PASSenger-cdrom, TRANSMEDIALE, Berlin
Presentation on PASSenger-cdrom, Digitales.Brussels
MAX/MSP/NATO presentation, Realtime jornadas, Universitat Pompeu FAbra, Barcelona

DIRECTING&TEACHING&ORGANISING - WORKHOPS

2007
06/ Taller de VJ.Intermediae. Madrid
09/ Live visuals Workshop.Visual Active. Holland
11/ Taller de Visuales en Tiempo Real. NIU. Barcelona
12/ REMIX-Realtime AV Workshop.Graphite. Australia
12/ Workshop:Visuales en Tiempo Real.Elisava. Barcelona

2006
05/ Creación Audiovisual en Directo.Bellas Artes.Barcelona
05/ Mediatecture.ELISAVA.Barcelona
09/ Taller de Videojockey.EUTOPIA.Cordoba
10/ Taller Intensivo de Visuales en Tiempo Real.Niu.BCN
12/ Minitaller de visuales en tiempo real. Bellas Artes. Bilbao.

2005
03/ Art of Realtime Creation, CAAC.Sevilla
04/ Realtime audiovisual creation. Lefreak.Barcelona
04/ Audiovisual Environments. Lefreak.Barcelona
07/ Visual workshop, Time of Music, Viitasaari.Finland
09/ Realtime Audiovisual Creation, IED-Instituto Europeo di Design.Barcelona
10/ Realtime Audiovisual Creation, FLACC- Image Forum,Genk.Belgium
11/ Realtime Audiovisual Creation, Vad-festival, Girona.Spain
12/ Realtime Audiovisual Creation, CENART, Mexico City.Mexico

2004
01/ Realtime Audiovisual Creation. Convent de Sant Agusti.Barcelona
06/ Performing Visuals, University of Bremen
07/ Performing Visuals, 10 days off/4 days on, Gent.Belgium
12/ Audiovisual realtime creation, La Casa Encendida.Madrid

2003
06/ VJ/DJ workshop for girls, Nau Coclea.Girona.Spain

2002
10/ Gameboy Soundlab with Micromusic.net , Art Futura.Barcelona
03/ Hacker technics Workshop, IMAL,Brussels
02/ Hacker technics Workshop, Transmediale.Berlin

2001
09/ Download if you dare:Hacker technics Workshop, Hangar.Barcelona

ORGANISING/CURATING

2007
11/ A special LIVE CINEMA issue for a:minima magazine specialized in digital art
11/ LIVE CINEMA event for I-Dissabtes/Caixaforum.Barcelona
11/ LIVE CINEMA event for NIU.Barcelona
08/ Moderation of VJTheory Blog : The performance

2005
-04/ Organising DORKBOT meetings, Barcelona
04/ Audiovisual event with the participants of the workshop "Audiovisual Environments"
11/ Processing workshop with Zachary Lieberman at ESDI, BArcelona

2004
03-/ Organising DORKBOT meetings, Barcelona

2003
02-06/ Co-curating OPTIQ SYNDICATE, Barcelona
06/ WOOSHI WOOSHI –electronic avalanche event, promoting female electronic music and visuals, Barcelona

2002
06/ Co-curating SonarMatica2002, Barcelona
11/ PLAYTIME Live Gaming Event, ART FUTURA2002, Barcelona (FF)
11/ Take away Exhibitions : compilation cdrom + urban multiuser sticker installation, Barcelona (FF)

2001
06/ MILKYSTARBOAT happening, Barcelona (FF)
06/ SONAR : selección cd-rom "PLAY MUSIC", Barcelona (FF)
10/ Fiftyfifty event, Virreina, Barcelona (FF)
11/ F_SCAPES II: confiqPPP-patch.perform.participate, DIGITALES, Brussels

2000
02/ OVNI : selección cd-roms, Barcelona (FF)
06/ SONAR : selección cd-rom "PLAY MUSIC", Barcelona (FF)
06/ Open Picnic : presentations of media artists (FF)
09/ Publicación of cd-rom FFMIX01, Barcelona (FF)
10/ F-SCAPES I, cyberfeminism working days, Brussels
(FF) working as part of Fiftyfifty organisation

WRITING

2007
*The Practise of Live Cinema [PerthDAC 2007]
*Introduction for a special issue on LIVE CINEMA for a:minima magazine

2006
* Thesis: LIVE CINEMA Language and Elements [MLAB.UIAH]

2005
* Article on Spanish VJ-scene, VJs.US
* Thesis on Realtime audiovisual creation in progress, due to be published in spring 2006. MediaLab.Helsinki

2004
* Article "VJ Culture: From Loop Industry To Real Time Scenarios" for Repellent magazine, NYC.US
* Spanish translation "La Cultura de los VJs:de la industria del loop a escenarios en tiempo real" published in ZEMOS98-festival catalogue

2002
* Article about ART FUTURA, SUITE magazine, Barcelona
* Article "Micromusic nonstop" about Micromusic.net, Repellent magazine, NYC.US, Translated in latvian at RIXC online reader
* Introduction to SonarMatica2002, SONAR Cataloque, Barcelona
* Transmediale report for Fiftyfifty website
* “Small is beautiful” interview with Vanni Brusadin published on
Subsol Website and AN@RCHITEXTS - Essays in Global Digital Resistance (Autonomedia)
* METAPET - genetic code in the service of the brave new corporate world, An interview with Natalie Bookchin, Published by Intelligent Agent

INTERVIEWS

CONT3XT.NET by Carlos Katastrofsky
Rupture Magazine by Niels Van Tomme
3DMag in Australia by Jean Poole
LA COCTELERA by Laura Sebastian Magaña
Rolling Stone by Javier Candeira


VIDEOS-DVDS
"DJ/RUPTURE:Flop we"
RES-DVD, SonarCinema 2005, Urban Sounds, Urban Sounds.London, MTV-Asia
"Field Reports"
SYNAESTHESIOLOGISTS - DVD, US
"Close" minimovie
DVD of AGF and Sue Constable coming out autumn 2005, US
Alien Fury
RELINE 1 - DVD Compilation Series 2002

PARTICIPATION IN EXHIBITIONS/SCREENINGS/BOOKS

2007
LARM FESTIVAL + ARCHIVES _ NORDIC FEMALE SOUND ART
Repeat Please: Cultura VJ
A:MINIMA
LIVE CINEMA DVD COLLECTION

09/ Repeat Please: Cultura VJ.Sevilla

2006
05/ MASTERS OF ART. Helsinki
06/ SONARSOUND.Buenos Aires
06/ Stripdagen Haarlem 2006.Holland
09/ State of the Image. Arnhem.Holland

2005
11/ Lopend Beeld. Haarlem.Holland
10/ FLACC-Image Forum. Genk.Belgium
03/ URBAN TALES, URBAN SOUNDS, London
05/ Sonar Files, Sevilla.Spain
06/ Xcentric - Festival de cortometrajes, BArcelona
06/ SONAR, Sonar Cinema, Barcelona

2004
04/ Visionica, Gijon, Spain
06/ SONAR, Barcelona
07/ OFFF festival, Valencia.Spain
07/ NEW YORK VIDEO FESTIVAL/ SYNAESTHESIOLOGISTS:Global Audiovisuals Now, NYC
10/ VISUAL-EX, Madrid

2003
05/ The best of XFEST, New York (US)
05/ XFEST, New York (US)
10/ Kvikt, Reykjavik. Island
10/ Raindance Film Festival/Cinesthesia, London

2002
02/ TRANSMEDIALE, Berlin, Germany
04/ SYNTH, San francisco
06/ SONARAMA/SONAR, Barcelona, Spain
08/ CYBERIA2002, Santander, Spain

2001
04/ EMAF, European Media Art Festival, Osnabruck, Germany
07/ OPEN PICNIC / MADE IN HANGAR
06/ SONAR, Barcelona (Spain)
08/ Eof galerie, Paris
09/ CONTINENT, Helsinki, Brussels
09/ PERIFERICS, Mostra d’art digital, Terrassa, Spain
10/ IMPAKT FESTIVAL, Utrecht, Netherlands
11/ 5th GRAZ BIENNAL ON MEDIA AND ARCHITECTURE, Graz, Austria
11/ CUT-N-PASTE CROSSMEDIA FESTIVAL, Amsterdam
11/ DIGITALES, Brussels
11/ SHORTS! International short film festival Amsterdam
12/ SENEF2001, Seoul, Korea
12/ Observatori 2001, Valencia, Spain
PARTICIPATION IN WORKSHOPS
09/01 Generation of interactive devices of creation, Barcelona
10/01 MAX/MSP/NATO workshop, Barcelona
04/02 Mobile Games Workshop, SAGAS, Munich.Germany
02/03 SOUND AS A TACTICAL MEDIA workshop, Transmediale.Berlin

For more info and links : www.solu.org