Mikko Niemistö: Glass Eyes

Glass Eyes, a stage piece by Mikko Niemistö and his working group, unfolds a distorted human experiment where medicine and mysticism intertwine. Glass Eyes delves into imagery referencing healthcare, mortality and exorcism, often obscuring who and what acts as the initiator of movement. Drawing inspiration from a time before and beyond the dominance of Western medicine, Glass Eyes channels the sterility of hospitals alongside traditional healing practices and spells. By opening portals to mysticism, Glass Eyes challenges the idea of the human body as something solely explainable through science. Its corporeality shifts between the clinical detachment of the medical gaze and surreal, dreamlike states. At times, the piece ventures into the imagery of popular culture and horror films, with the performers moving as if possessed – manipulated by unseen forces and one another. Visually, Glass Eyes transforms the stage into a mash-up of an anatomical theatre and a ritual site. Sofia Palillo’s spatial design and Kristian Palmu’s lighting design make use of glass and its reflections. The visual atmosphere born through their artistic dialogue conjures images of laboratories, organic fluids and fragmented body parts. Siru Kosonen’s costume design interacts with the space and highlights the materiality of the performing bodies. On stage, performers Marika Peura and Mikko Niemistö join musician Elias Riipinen, whose autopsy of the violin oscillates between symphonic reverence and raw, tearing noise. Concept and choreography: Mikko Niemistö Performers: Marika Peura, Elias Riipinen, Mikko Niemistö Composition, sound design and violin: Elias Riipinen Spatial design: Sofia Palillo Lighting design: Kristian Palmu Costume design: Siru Kosonen Producer: Soili Huhtakallio Artisic dialogue: Maya Oliva Production: Mikko Niemistö, Zodiak - Centre for New Dance