The Habits of Otherness: “Not me, but those others!”

Fri 27.9-Sat 28.9.

Helsinki City Museum, Aleksanterinkatu 16

In Finland, conversations about anti-racism often focus on extremist groups or systemic structures, but what about the rest of us? I consider myself well-educated, widely travelled, perhaps even having worked in an artist residency in Benin. I have African friends – surely, I can’t be part of the problem, right?

We invite you to explore these questions with us. Let’s have a meaningful conversation about our own whiteness and the habits of racialization we may unconsciously uphold. Our aim is to create an open, non-judgmental space for genuine curiosity and dialogue. Together, we’ll ask ourselves: What knowledge am I contributing to? What patterns of thought and representation do I reproduce in my work? Where are the silences, and what assumptions lie beneath the surface?

Colonial legacies continue to shape our world, whether we realize it or not. That’s why we believe it’s essential to examine the personal foundations of cultural collaboration. For true intercultural dialogue to flourish, we must dismantle the habitual frameworks we rely on to shape our reality. Decolonization asks us to rethink our roles, status, and values on a deeper level.

This event is part of a project supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Finnish-West African Institute Villa Karo. It is coordinated by dance artist and researcher Heidi Seppälä and is primarily for Villa Karo alumni and future residents, though all are welcome. The event will feature a preview of the Embodied Whiteness Workshop and 10-day reading challenge currently being developed as part of the project, alongside a panel discussion, roundtable discussions live music, a dance performance, and of course, snacks, wine, and plenty of opportunities to connect with others.

You are warmly welcome!

Heidi and Julia

Friday 27.9

13:45 Arrival
14:00 Welcome speech by Julia Ojanen followed by Heidi Seppälä’s rant on whiteness.
14:30 Panel:Why should we talk more about whiteness and racialisation?
In the panel:
Minna Seikkula from University of Tampere
Xaviera Marchant Aedo, human rights activist and equality expert
Hanna Järvinen from University of the Arts, Helsinki
Host: Heidi Seppälä
16:00 Speed Thinking: Round table discussions on aspects of othering
17:30 Dance Performance |Bruno Zambrano – Kaipaus ja kuuluminen (Longing and Belonging)
18:00 Dancer Sibiri Konaté and musician Donald Agbodjakin lead us to the world of holy agbadja dance

Saturday 28.9

11-14 Embodied workshop about whiteness for white people

In this three hour workshop we aim to deepen our understanding of the ever-present nature of white privilege and white supremacy, both in our own bodies and in the bodies of the people in front of us.
The workshop includes easy embodied exercises, writing, breathing exercises and discussion.
Workshop facilitator: Heidi Seppälä