Stories

Long reads

12.10.2017

The Feminist Secret Society of Helsinki (HFS) is seeking tools for collective work

Founded in 2014, Helsingin Feministinen Salaseura (HFS; the Feminist Secret Society of Helsinki) is an art collective interested in feminist issues. The HFS seeks non-hierarchical working methods by combining various art forms and science. The HFS also produces performances and other output in varying ensembles.

The members of the art collective are actor Iida-Maria Heinonen, gender researcher and director Olga Palo, visual artist Karoliina Hellberg, photographer Katri Naukkarinen, actor-screenwriter Amanda Palo, actors Saara Kotkaniemi, Kreeta Salminen, Noora Dadu and Piia Peltola and communications designer Anna Vanninen.

”HFS has operated for over three years in its members’ kitchens and living rooms, and in cafés and other places. It has been difficult to arrange longer working periods together. For this reason, opportunities such as the Saari Residence are vital to the existence of our group. At the Saari Residence, we will be seeking practical tools for collective work. How to become a genuinely inclusive and equal art collective in an art world dominated by individualism and auter/autre? thinking? In order to keep the art scene vivid and the dialogue lively, somebody needs the time to focus on it without accountability for results. This is what were are interested in right now,” the working groups explains.