SHORT COURSE HOW TO DEAL WITH PANIC ATTACKS BY MEANS OF PERFORMANCE ART // PROJECT BY JOSEF KA // HIAP RESIDENCY // HELSINKI FINLAND // SPRING 2020

During the Covid lockdown of Spring 2020, a period filled with uncertainty and restrictions, I found myself immersed in a fabulous residency in Helsinki. Over the course of approximately four months, I had the opportunity to engage in a multitude of creative endeavors, working on more than 10 significant projects both individually and in collaboration with fellow artists. Among these projects, there was one that held particular significance: an exploration of panic attacks.

As the lockdown persisted, I noticed a common theme emerging among my friends and acquaintances. Their regular fears and occasional panic attacks were intensifying, as the circumstances surrounding the pandemic began to take their toll. Drawing from my own personal experience of dealing with panic attacks for over 20 years, I decided to create a project for people to share their own experiences and methods of overcoming these debilitating episodes.

I reached out to my friends and invited them to participate in this project. I wanted to gather a diverse range of perspectives and insights. More than 10 artists from 10+ countries eagerly shared their personal journeys with panic attacks, their struggles, and the strategies they had discovered to conquer these overwhelming moments.

Building upon their contributions, I combined their experiences with my own ideas and expertise. Over the span of two months, I meticulously crafted a short video performative course “FUCK YOU PANIC” that aimed to empower individuals and equip them with tools to combat panic attacks.

The course was designed not only to provide guidance but also to foster a sense of community, reminding individuals that they were not alone in their struggle.

Big gratitude to Mark Maher, Juha Huuskonen, all the participants, HIAP and my beloved Panic Attack

The premier happened May 2023 at Sauna Gallery, Helsinki

Choreography, performance: Josef Ka

Photography Mark Maher

Texts and (music) by Josef Ka, Roberto Prestigiacomo, Susanne Ådahl, Flusso Del Libero Suono, Kole Sanders, Aaron Terry, Olga Sergeeva, Azalia, Jonathan Powell*, Marcel Bosch.

Music: from the royalty free music sources

2020/2023/2024

Published by Josef Ka

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International performance, visual and sound artist Josef Ka blends richly varied influences – everything from Butoh dance to cinematic theory – with her decades of nomadic world travel to create bold, highly personal site-specific art. Josef Ka’s themes range from investigating the place of the human body in contemporary reality to exploring the inner body as a representative system of our human and post human kind. Her artistic practice often actively invites the audience inside a sort of private reverie, making it is a deeply participatory one; she actively engages with both her audiences and with a wide diversity of other experimental artists. In addition to her own work, Josef Ka curates a regular series of events and exhibitions at her Helsinki underground space – Sauna Gallery – and teaches classes on the theory and practice of performance art. She is also the inventor of the WORST THEATRE and her yogic training system, KA-YOGA. https://eskargoeskargo.com/

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