Welcome to our refurbished website! The selection in this years third issue extends from sound poetry to procedural poetry and from poetry game to kinetic poetry.
This Spring the sudden outbreak of Corona virus has had unexpected effects on societies all over the world. The situation in Finland is at this moment calm. Covid-19 has however had big impacts on, besides healthcare and politics also on culture and art with the strict restrictions imposed on live events. Many institutions were forced to find new ways to realise their purpose and those with existing capabilites for example in the digital culture production expanded their work. Nokturno belonged to the latter group and this Spring we released poetry also between issues and collaborated with Arts Promotion Centre Finland in their pilot experiment for remote residencies.
From May to June two remote residencies took their virtual place in our then empty Digital Residence. They were coordinated by Arts Promotion centre Finland’s regional artist in game art Jaakko Kemppainen. The residencies focused on game art with other work pair combining poetry and game art and other comics and game art. In this issue we publish Platonista yskintää (Platonic Coughing) by game artist Simo Santavirta (simppafi) and poet V.S. Luoma-aho. Second work by game artist Sanna Väätänen and comic artist Tuomas Tiainen is released later this year.
Digital poetry intersects often not only with digital art but also with programming as art. This issue features seven kinetic poems by Stephen Emblem, programmer who this Spring took a challenge to create one visual piece per day, each with different keyword. The black and white works are now on display at Nokturno in video format.
First in our assortment of sound poetry is Sini Silveri’s and J. Koho‘s Elävänä Titaanidiskossa (Live at Titan Disco), a compilation of sound poetry from their live gigs. Part of Silveri’s poetry was published this Spring as a book Titaanidisko (Poesia). Music and sounds are by J. Koho.
There’s also procedural poetry aboard in this issue. Irish-Canadian poet Jade Riordan has created a series of six procedural poems inspired by animals and nature. Each poem includes several poems merging an diverging in and in between the text lines.
And, our record of youngest poet in Nokturno is beated once again! This time by 5 year old Oiva Kova who created a Surreal poem after a visit in René Magritte’s exhibition. In a video by his mother Sanna Telkki-Kova Oiva recites the poem in a made-up language.
Last but not least we have two more pieces of sound poetry. Juha Rautio’s Festivaali Audiobook is now complete with additional tracks since it’s teaser preview as part of our in-between issues release series. The audiobook is a sound version of Rautio’s poetry book Festivaali (Enostone, 2018). His work is however not an ordinary audiobook but comprises of a layered sound material modifying the composition of his printed book. And last, a piece by Saku Soukka and Johannes Vartola who reflect and address questions of travelling, social media and identities in their piece meri tahtoo lisää suolaa (the sea wants more salt).
We here at Nokturno now retreat to a partial Summer holiday. We welcome new poetry through out the year but if you wish your submission to be considered as part of the September issue, the deadline is 30th of August.
In August we’re glad to present our second guest curator issue of the year! Game journalist Aleksandr Manzos curates a selection of games that are noteworthy in the way they employ literary means and use language.
Enjoy Summer and poetry!
PS. Our new podcast series started last week. The series is produced by Juha Rautio and the first guest is experimental poet Karri Kokko. You can also suggest your own podcast to the series.
