Mattijuhani Koponen
From the liner notes to Tiananmen 4.-6.6.1989 CD.
Mattijuhani Koponen (MJK), born 10 October 1941, is a multiartist in
Fenno-Slavic
style, whose life is an artwork in itself. He is a poet, a composer, a
musician, an aquarelle painter, a photographer, a performance artist, a
gardener, an activist in men's postmodern liberation movement, and a
journalist. MJK gave his first composer concert in 1965, in his home town
Lappeenranta. In 1960s MJK was the primus motor for an interdisciplinary
underground group called The
Sperm. The group arranged happenings,
performances and concerts, which caused some debate and public outrage at
the time in Finland. The Sperm published several records of electronic and
acoustic music.
MJK gave his most famous performance in December 2nd, 1968. It was symphonic poem of reconciliation made by Cain and Abel, represented as an act of love on top of a grand piano. This ritual between good and evil led to a trial, and MJK was imprisoned for eight months, which hasn't happened to any other artist in the country. Theologists thought that the searched reconciliation was impossible... After this event MJK worked as a journalist for twenty years. His artistic activity was repressed, except for self published poetry. Despite of his marginalization, MJK has taken part to the discussion on art and has done his best in trying to unravel fixed conceptions. He is a founding member of MUU - A Helsinki based organization for media art, video art, performance, environmental art, interdisciplinary arts and other experimental modes of cultural production - and its honorary chairperson, and still an active member.
CD Tiananmen 4.-6.6.1989 opens a view to its composers unique world of sounds, in which the musical thinking is innovative, deep, humane, and lasting. MJK performs all his works by himself, alone.
(MUU Productions, Rikhardinkatu 4, FIN-00130 Helsinki. tel +358-09-625972, fax 625376)
Mattijuhani Koponen 60 years @ Helsingin Sanomat [in Finnish]
Mattijuhani
Koponen @ Google [search results]