Switchboard

One of the key aspects of the Research Pavilion #3 project is an ongoing critical dialogue between the Research Cells. A group of international experts – Esa Kirkkopelto, Ellen J Røed, Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger and Giaco Schiesser – have been invited to facilitate this self-reflective and collaborative process. Due to its decisive role in articulating interconnections between the Research Cells, this group of experts is called the Switchboard.

Esa Kirkkopelto is a philosopher, an artist-researcher and a performing artist. He has been working at the University of the Arts Helsinki first as professor of artistic research, then as head of the post-doc Centre for Artistic Research. Currently, he works in the same institution as a visiting researcher. His research focuses on the deconstruction of the performing body both in theory and in practice. Having passed his PhD in philosophy at the University of Strasbourg he is the author of Le théâtre de l´expérience. Contributions à la théorie de la scène, as well as of many articles on the philosophy of theatre, poetics, and politics.

Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger is Professor of Exhibition Studies and Spatiality at the University of the Arts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts. She has previously worked as a curator, author, researcher and teacher both in Finland and abroad; since 2009, she has held the post of Chief Curator at The Finnish Museum of Photography. She has extensive experience in exhibition projects, curating practices and the international exhibition scene of the contemporary arts. She is interested in art practices and display in both physical and digital environments. She holds a PhDin Art History from the University of Helsinki.

Ellen J Røed is professor in Film and media for the profile area Art, technology, materiality at Stockholm University of the Arts. Operating as both visual artist, researcher and educator, she has for the past twenty years been deeply involved in questioning and exploring electronic and digital materialities and cultures, as well as performative and networked aspects of media. She has completed a PhD equivalent fellowship in the Norwegian Fellowship Programme for Artistic Research and is currently in the Steering Committee for The Norwegian Artistic Research Programme. 

Prof. Giaco Schiesser is the founder and co-head of the artistic PhD programme «Fine Arts and Transdisciplinarity», a joint PhD programme of Kunstuniversität Linz (Austria) and Zurich University of the Arts, ZHdK. He was a long-time head of Departement of Art & Media and head of dossier Research at ZHdK.