The Exhausted Activist Project (2020) 

Artist and facilitator Vishnu Vardhani

 

29.2. - 2.3.2020

Myymälä2

Uudenmaankatu 23

00120 Helsinki

 

Opening: Saturday 29.2. at 18:00

Finnisage: Monday 2.3.2020 at 13:00

The Exhausted Activist project is centred around setting up a pop-up nap cafe, a space for people to rest but which also challenges the perceived norms of 'work-hours' in order to bring back the culture of taking naps and resting. The purpose of this project is to investigate the neuro-politics of rest and especially sleep. 

 

The Exhausted Activist project aims to consider several questions about how we deal with rest as a society, namely

Can reparations for people match the rapidity of technological growth?

Can rethinking rest in times of high productivity lead to a boom?

Can doing nothing become a rebellion to the ideologies of capitalism?

How do passive bodies rest?

Can self-care and unwork be tools for mental health? 

During the 41 hours of performance Artist Vishnu Vardhani Rajan will explore the conflict between public and private, openness and enclosure.

This episode of the project approaches to confront  “on show,” as a private activity becoming almost performative. Still and all the security of the locked gate allows for a moment of solitude, reflection and a chance to relax in the gallery. 

On Saturday 29 February, to mark the beginning of the EAP Mr. Narendra Modi appears in the lieu of a demonstration at MM2, in which Mr. Modi will give his first-ever interview in Helsinki, regarding how to make activist spaces safe.

This interview is between 19:00 - 20:00. All are very welcome to attend and ask him questions, either in person or via live chat on Facebook and or Instagram.