Aki-Pekka

AUTUMN IN ÅLAND’S ARCHIPELAGO

April 15, 2013

Hi folks! I have just returned from the outer archipelago of Åland where I spent two weeks in the autumn storms. In case you don’t know, the Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. The islands are situated at the entrance of the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland. But yes, of course you knew all this already.

I was happy to travel there and to the outer archipelago, together with my wife and my daughter. During day time I was photographing and in the evenings we read children books out loud in the candle light. We lived and worked next to the boat house in the picture above and I can tell you that the sea was all the time present. It was even in our dreams.

Working in these kind of pretty extreme conditions was some what an exotic but refreshing expirience. Two weeks on a lonely island without internet or mobile phone connections and without other people. We used rain water to wash ourself and solar energy to charge the camera batteries. There was a lot of limitations but even so we had everything we needed for a good life.

My photos from the outer archipelago are going to be published in the beginning of next year. I will tell you more soon… Until that, take care – of yourself and the planet.

With piiis and laaav, Peki

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TIME

November 16, 2012

Choreographer Maija Hirvanen is known for her thought-provoking and deliciously quirky works.

Hirvanen’s latest creation For those who have time examines habits formed by the rhythm of contemporary life. Imperfection, ardor, and beauty through sweat and emotions; these are the elements that the audience will encounter.

Aki-Pekka Sinikoski took the promotional photos for For those who have time. “I was basically asked to visualise the play in a photographic way. At that point there was only some parts of the choreography ready but we went through a lot of Maija’s ideas, thoughts, and the consept. After that I created the set design and lights for my photos.” explains Peki about the creative process behind these photos that run over Helsinki in November.

“I really enjoyed working with Maija – once again. She gave me a lot of artistic freedom and basically asked me to be part of their dance production crew at a early stage of the play. After I finished my part of the job, Maija continued the process with her main crew. You never know about the future but maybe there is even more to come with this artistic collaboration with her…”

More photos in the Portfolio.

For those who have time: Zodiak

FROM DUO TO DUO

November 16, 2012

“I’m coming to the harbour. You can stop me only by drowning 5000 people”

Musta höyhen (The Black Feather) is a cutting edge crime novel written in Finland. M/s Norlandia and its crew is ordered to do an easy two weeks gig in the Middle East by bringing 1800 refugees and to ship them to Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. But as captain Sten Bremer leaves behind the masacre in Syria his ship is loaded with a chaotic crowd of 5000 refugees. Extreme right wing rises like a storm over Europe. No-one wants these people and harbour after harbour is closing their ports in front of the ship. The clock is ticking. And the dark sea is waiting…

Peki Sinikoski and Jussi Karjalainen, the award winning duo (Bada Bim Bada Bum) from Superkasi Studio, did the visual consept, photos and the graphic design for the first part of this crime novel series written by two well respected Finnish veteran novelists, Mauno Saari and Juha Numminen. The first of the Numminen & Saari books are out now and published by WSOY. Check it out! (Some embraising critics below in Finnish for all you Scandinavian crime fiction fans out there.)

…And oh YES, the client loved Peki’s and Jussi’s work so there is more to come!

Musta Höyhen

”Rikosromaani, joka on yhteiskunnallinen, poliittinen, ajankohtainen ja kansainvälinen – kaikkea tätä vetävässä paketissa.”

Heini Sivonen, Ilta-Sanomat

”Musta höyhen on kansainvälinen trilleri, toiminnantäyteinen meriromaani ja yhteiskuntakriittinen puheenvuoro. 
   (…) Trillerinä ja meriromaanina Musta höyhen toimii erittäin hyvin.”

Pertti Avola, Helsingin Sanomat

”Kirja on ajankohtainen ja siksikin koukuttava. (…) Kirjailijat kuljettavat juonta johdonmukaisesti lukijaruuvia kiristäen. Tapahtumat maissa ja merellä vuorottelevat notkeasti. Ihmisen raadollisuus rehottaa. Kirjassa on paljon hyviä ja eläviä henkilötyyppejä.”

Heikki Haapavaara, Kauppalehti

PEKI x ENCONTROS DA IMAGEM

September 6, 2012

GREAT NEWS! Finnish Teens is going to be exhibited in … [rolls drum … drums keeps rolling… drum rolls way too long … come on Matt Sorum … Can you please stop now… ] … PORTUGAL.

To be more presice there will be a great selection of my photos (even some new prints) in the Encontros da Imagem. That is an international festival of photography and video curated by Rui Prata. Ooh mama, I can tell you that there is going to be a really interesting photographers in that show…

–Yep, I have to admit that I’m thrilled to be part of this one!

Yours, Aki-Pekka Sinikoski

Encontros da Imagem

THE RISE OF THE NEW FINNISH DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY

April 15, 2013

I’m happy to tell you that this evenings main TV News let us know that Aki-Pekka Sinikoski is in the frontline of the new rise of documentary photography in Finland. The news was published by YLE, Finnish National Broadcasting Company and can be found HERE.

For those who are not familiar with Finnish the news clip tells that there are now some really interesting documentary photographers coming from Finland like Aki-Pekka Sinikoski, Maija Tammi, and Juuso Westerlund.

FRONTLINE! Ooh la la, that sounds great… and just to give you some inside rumours from the palace of Korea, Peki is at the frontline even now… but this time his tool is a vacuum cleaner.

PEKI x LES RENCONTRES ARLES PHOTOGRAPHIE

June 26, 2012

Schools are out and a long and exciting summer is here. If you are in Helsinki please be sure to check out Finnish Teens (Too Cheap for Your Mom) exhibition at Gallery Kiseleff. It’s open till June 29th.

If you are heading to France to visit the 43rd edition of Les rencontres Arles you will also have the chance to see the Finnish Teens (Thank you for the watching) as part of this legendary photo festival as well.

Free french kisses for those happy campers who are going to spot The Teens both in Helsinki and Arles.

We will be out the office during July and back in the Palace of Korea on August.

XXX, Aki-Pekka Sinikoski

PAVILION | WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL HELSINKI 2012

June 14, 2012

The Pavilion, designed by students at Aalto University’s Wood Program, is a showcase of Finnish sustainable wood architecture. It is realised by World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 in collaboration with Aalto University, the Museum of Finnish Architeture, Design Museum, and UPM.

The Pavilion is an open-to-all space between the Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design Museum where you can experience the heart of WDC Helsinki 2012 year. All programme at the Pavilion is free of charge and open to everyone.

We are happy to tell you that Korea’s finest, Aki-Pekka Sinikoski got an assignmnet to take the promotional photos of the Pavilion. Photos will be published and exhibited widely, for example at 13th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale de Venezia.

But don’t be sad my friend, you don’t have to travel all the way to Italy to enjoy these photos. You will find a small selection of them (+other new works) even on Korea’s front page. Enjoy!

 

 

LÄSKI MULKKU

June 14, 2012

Läski mulkku, the new Samae Koskinen single is out now! The single is at the moment being power played at least in the Finnish broadcasting company’s radio YLEX.

The album art works for this and the forthcoming singles and album are made by winning duo from Super 8 Studios, Aki-Pekka Sinikoski and Jussi S. Karjalainen.

If you are ready for the summer and want to get some Läski mulkku, this is the right address Pretty pretty background image?

FINNISH TEENS (TOO CHEAP FOR YOUR MOM)

June 7, 2012

OOOOooooh mama! There is no city more Helsinki than Helsinki. And if you want to drink cream and eat diamonds we have something for you: The opening party of Finnish Teens (Too Cheap For Your Mom) is T.O.D.A.Y. Mikidimikidimäkdädi, this just drippidi dropped from kokidi Korea’s fakidi fax:

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Gallery Kiseleff
AKI-PEKKA SINIKOSKI: FINNISH TEENS (Too Cheap For Your Mom) 
07/06-29/06/12

The opening exhibition at Gallery Kiseleff proudly presents Finnish photographer Aki-Pekka Sinikoski. Sinikoski is known as a multi-faceted portrait photographer. He has also worked as an arranger and curator of Helsinki Biennale since 2006. His exhibition Finnish Teens (Too Cheap For Your Mom) fills the gallery with a colourful, gently humorous but sensitive photo document about the lives of Finnish teenagers. 

“We fear loneliness and getting rejected by our friends. We fear we are not good enough. The danger is that you give too much of yourself and just think about how to please others.”
-Viliina Kettunen, 17 years

The opening party starts June 7th 2012 at 5 pm at Kiseleff (Aleksanterinkatu 28, Helsinki). Be sure to be there on time because at 5:30 pm Finnish French duo Eva & Manu will play a live consert as a perfect soundtrack for the Finnish Teens. Please do yourself a favor and do not miss that one.

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P.S. We will have a big webpage update here at the palace of Korea next week, so stay tuned!

MILLENNIUM PRIZE PHOTOGRAPHER

April 19, 2012

New York, Portland, San Francisco, Kyoto, and Osaka… I’m happy to tell you that I have just returned to Helsinki from my very first world tour. For the last weeks I have been photographing a really interesting project for TAF, Technology Academy Finland. TAF is an independent foundation established by Finnish industry together with the Finnish state. Every second year this foundation hands out the Millennium Technology Prize, that is Finland’s tribute to life-enhancing technological innovations. The size of the award is pretty much in the same level as the Nobel prize. The winner gets a lots of honour + one million dollars.

Unfortunately I have to admit that I didn’t get nominated for this scientific prize. But I was the one who travelled literally around the world to take the official photos of the laureates for the prize. So for me last weeks have been super hectic but also a lot of fun. It has also offered me some wonderful discussions with geniuses like Linus Torvalds, Shinya Yamanaka, Deepak Srivastava, Mark Charlebois, Greg Kroah-Hartman, and Jim Zemlin. I was also fortunate to see all those beautiful cherrry blossoms in Japan and visit really interesting places like Gladstone Institute, San Francisco and CiRA, Kyoto.

Now, just some moments ago, TAF has announced the laureates for the Millenium Prize 2012. So do yourself a favour: go and check out some mindblowing ideas from their WEBSITE.