Jenny Mansikkasalo

Time → Xx.Xx.2025 at Xx–Yy am/pm

Location → Osoite/paikka, Oulu

A Body of Silk performance addresses the act of letting go of aerial acrobatics and the resonance that continues to vibrate between the acrobat and the circus prop even after that decision. Within the circus field, the fact that the body cannot endure extreme physical strain indefinitely is, to some extent, a taboo. For this work, Mansikkasalo interviews artists who have left the profession for this reason.

The starting point of the performance is presence with the vertical fabric. Mansikkasalo is currently going through a process of reflecting on life after being an aerial acrobat: “Even if I no longer climb the fabric, my body remembers how it happens and what it feels like. This embodied knowledge is the basis for being and moving in the performance. I imagine myself in the air. Aerial acrobatics still affect my body, since over the years it has shaped it.”

The work contemplates change, which is often so slow it is barely noticeable, yet suddenly becomes visible. This was the case for Mansikkasalo with the strain on the body. The fabric too wears down over the years and can suddenly tear.

Photo: Iida-Liina Linnea