Joutsa, Finland
TUO TUO is an artist-led residency situated in the former schoolhouse of Pynnölä village, Joutsa, established in January 2020. This residency is dedicated to exploring the intersections of sound, visual arts, performance, and environmental sciences within an ecological arts framework. It serves as a collaborative, ever-evolving ecosystem that supports experimentation and future-oriented community projects centered around ecological thinking. The residency is set in a rural, serene environment that stimulates transdisciplinary dialogue and pancultural pluralism, integrating deeply with both the local and international cultural landscapes. TUO TUO fosters a supportive atmosphere for residents to engage in radical rethinking across disciplines, welcoming proposals related to ecological art and research, ecopsychology, healing, poetry, and permaculture among others. Residents at TUO TUO are provided with a private bedroom, workspace access, and communal facilities including a kitchen, library, and laundry, all conducive to both solitary reflection and collective experimentation. The residency promotes sustainable living practices and provides a wood-burning sauna and spaces for social interaction and public engagement such as workshops and exhibitions.
Very kind and open-minded residency owners / curators and the ability to develop yourself freely, creating artworks without obligation for your background or specific media i.e. experimenting with materials / techniques and tools onsite.
My experience at Tuo Tuo was excellent. The place where it is located and the spaces accesible to the residents are exceptional, but what I really value are its hosts, Joni and Kaitlyn: magical beings of true kindness and responsible artists in everything they do.
My autumn/winter residency at TUO TUO felt warm and magical. I felt supported and seen both in my artistic practice and as a person, and my time with them inspired new chapters in my work. TUO TUO feels like a mossy womb, with fairy-like founders who plant, grow, play and make great mixtapes.