Our fifth issue of 2020 brings you a diverse selection of digital poetry and poetic approaches to digital world, including game art, pop generator, 3D printed poetry, triptych updated to gif era and video poetry.
Loukku is a game created by comic book artist Tuomas Tiainen and game designer Sanna Väätänen. In Loukku player moves around in an old house from one decade to another. The game is a gently claustrofobic adventure where the player tries to find his/her way to the sauna. It isn’t easy, the house is haunted with sounds and memories. Loukku was created as part of Arts Promotion Centre Finlands Remote Residencies concept. More information you’ll find here.
Daniil Kozlov, also known as Susinukke Kosola, has written an essay on his most recent project, 3D poetry objects. His essay asks what kind of a role can tangibility have in receiving and creating poetry. The essay includes videos of two poetry objects and also instructions and models on how to print them yourself! Elonkehä (Circle of Life) is moved by wind turbine and Aikasammas (Time Infection) slowly breaks itself.
Our second essay is by SS Prasad, engineer who’s also a poet. Talking Circuits – Circuits as Language: Language as Circuits is a documentation of his poetic work in progress study on connections between natural languages and circuits. The essay approaches structures and functions of circuits through the lense of languages such as English, Sanskrit and French. Natural language is used when inventors name technological innovations but does human linguistics reach even deeper to the structures of technology?
Luufagmentti (Bone Fragment) is a video poem by Riikka Tahvanainen and Joel Mäkipuro. It addresses subjects that are often seen as oppositions: nature and human, nature and built environment. What kind of a relationship can we build to our environment in the age of eco-catastrophe? How do nature and built environment interact?
This Spring our lives were restructured by corona virus and especially the strict guidelines to avoid physical contact. Here in Finland the situation was calm through the Summer but the exceptional circumstances are at the door as infection rates are again rising. With new restrictions memories of earlier experiences emerge. During the first months of pandemia in Austria media artist Tiio Suorsa created a series of four video poems, Kinesics of Letters. Nokturno now publishes these works that recorded and examine the atmosphere from March to June.
This issue also brings you A triptych para pandemia. [Un Poemema], a pandemia gif triptych by Mexican visual poet León de la Rosa. It catches the at times even comic chaos, where political powers and different worldviews contest each other.
Pop culture is at times blamed to be too shallow, too oblivious to realities of everyday life. Amid this pandemia we thought you might need a small breather and we’re not ashamed to utilise pop culture for this very purpose. Seppo Laine has created a word and image generator Fragments which combines lyrics of a famous pop star to fierce colors and geometric patterns. You can also adjust the colors to create an even more intense experience. And then even more!
We welcome new poetry all year round. Deadline for next issue is 22nd of November 2020.
Our next podcast will soon be online! This time Juha Rautio interviews poet, writing teacher Miia Toivio, author of four poetry books and a performer, among others, in the field of sound poetry. Toivio is also part of cooperative Poesia, Finnish poetry publishing house and she has been editor in chief at Tuli & Savu poetry magazine.
Ps. In November we welcome our poet-in-digital-residence 2020 Kyle Booten! Booten enters our residence with his project To Pray Without Ceasing. More information you’ll find here.
