About Sami

Sami Sänpäkkilä aka Es lives and works near the forests of Tampere, Finland. He is a musician, film-maker and the head of Fonal Records. To date he has released five full lenght releases under the name Es. Sami has made short films and music videos which have been screened in various museums, art galleries and film festivals around the world. The films and the music are experimental moodscapes that explore the themes of melancholy, pathos and hope.

Artists statement:

The distinction between the actions of animals and humans at this point in history may be described as this: humans always direct their actions towards an end result of an emotional nature. We employ memory in an attempt to rationalise the meaning of life or the search for it. Most look for these answers and simultaneously drift away from nature and the natural. At this level the behaviour of animals has not changed since the birth of the world. Survival and continuity of the species are still their cardinal goals.

Humans on the other hand are prepared to die for their faith and beliefs. The ways we search for meaning varies from birth to death. Creating and finding narratives in one’s own life becomes a solution. In every tiny moment of our lives lays a hidden narrative deeper than any one lifespan. My films and music are concerned with discovering these hidden private narratives and does not deal with time in a linear fashion. It perhaps merely tries to slowly fit a feeling from the silver screen to a memory of your own, and elevate that with hope and kindness. Through the melancholy of that moment you may feel like you are looking at the starry sky or a total lunar eclipse. In a way that will hopefully make your memories irrationally comforting.

Curriculum Vitae:

Education

Tampere Polytechnic, Fine Arts (BA), Tampere, Finland, 2001-2005
Ontario College Of Art And Design, Toronto, Canada, September-December 2004

Solo exhibitions

2009 Short films and music videos from school years, Ikuinen galleria, Tampere
2008 21st Century Portrait, Linnake Gallery, Tampere, Finland
2006 Aurinkokellari, Exhibition on the invitation of the Paulo Foundation, Helsinki, Finland
2004 Unissani aavehuminaa, Ikuinen Galleria, Tampere, Finland
2002 untitled, Gare De La Chappelle, Bryssels, Belgium
2001 untitled, Avanto Festival, Gloria, Helsinki, Finland
2001 Sail All Night, Diamond Bar, Pori, Finland
1999 Sail All Night, Mental Alaska, Telakka, Tampere

Group exhibitions

2009 Valtakunta, Kluuvin Galleria, Helsinki
2009 Pirkanmaan 4. Triennaali, Tampere
2009 Arctic Hysteria, Taidehalli, Helsinki, Finland
2009 Arctic Hysteria, Ludwig Museum, Budabest Hungary
2008 From the Arctic to the Prairie: New Art from Finland & Chicago, Golden Gallery, Chicago, USA
2008 Arctic Hysteria, PS1, New York, USA
2005 Golden Lightning and Blank Diamond, Vapriikki, Tampere, Finland
2003 2nd Triennal Of Pirkanmaa (Curated by Markus Copper), Tampere Art Museum, Finland
2001 Hämeenkatu, Finnish Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Film Screenings

2009 Finland in Full Colour, VerdensKulturCentret, Copenhagen, Denmark
2008 Museek Festival, St. Petersburg, Russia
2008 3H+K, Pori, Finland
2008 ICA, London, UK
2008 Notch festival, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, China
2008 MoMa, New York, USA
2008 P.S.1, New York, USA
2008 Helsinki Design Museum, Helsinki, Finland
2008 Kumu, Tallinn, Estonia
2008 Fridge Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland
2007 Fake Space, Peking, China
2006 Open Space, Candiani Cultural Centre, Venice, Italy
2005 Multiplex festival, Soap Factory Gallery, Minneapolis, USA
2005 Travelling 16e, Rennes, France
2004 Avanto Helsinki Media Art festival, Helsinki, Finland
2004 Unissani Aavehuminaa, Ikuinen Galleria, Tampere, Finland
2004 Tampere Biennale, Tampere, Finland
2004 Tampere 34th International Film Festival, Tampere, Finland

Films (selected)

2008 Ignatz: The water, music video, HD, 5 min 09 sec
2008 Lau Nau: Painovoimaa, valoa, music video, HD, 4 min 57 sec
2008 21st Century Portrait, installation, HD, 3 x 1 min loop
2008 Eleanoora Rosenholm: Maailmanloppu, music video, HD, 4 min 25 sec
2007 Islaja: Rohkaisulaulu, music video, 16mm, 5 min 38 sec
2006 Aurinkokellari, installation, super 8, 33 min
2005 Surrealistin kaksi vasenta kättä, short film, 16mm/miniDV/animation, 7 min 30 sek
2004 91: 11-12, short film, 16mm, 8 min 42 sec
2004 Office Building: Never Leave the Ground, music video, super 16, 4 min 7 sec
2003 Kubisitisia vittu saatana, short film, super 8, 4 min 45 sec
2003 Kubistisia Kukkia Liikkeessä, short film, super 8, 6 min 46 sec
2003 Tarbotstraat, short film, super 8, 51 sec
2002 Hämeenkatu, short film, super 8, 3 min 21 sec
2001 Es: She Puts Out the Fire In Her Heart With Her Tears, music video, super 8, 12 min 9 sec
1999 Circle: Glanu, music video, super 8, 4 min 17 sec

Live concerts (selected)

August 2008 Notch Festival tour, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou in China and Hong Kong
September 2008 Approximately Infinite Universe tour in UK
May 2007 Kemialliset Ystävät tour in USA
October 2nd 2007, Musikprotokoll, Gratz, Austria
August 8th 2007, (K-RAA-K)3 10 years, Vooruit, Gent, Belgium
July 10th 2007, Focus Finland, Poznan, Poland
June 24th 2007, No-Signal event, London, UK
June 22nd 2007, Telecom Future Centre Venizia, Venice, Italy
March 24th to 29th 2007, Fonal Tour with ES, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia
March 24th to April 9th 2006 Fonal Tour with Es in UK, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and Holland
June 18th 2005 Sónar Festival, Barcelona, Spain
April 22nd 2005 Subcurrent Festival, Glasgows Centre For Contemporary Arts, England
December 1st – 11th 2004, Sateenkaarisuudelma Tour, Six concerts and two radio sessions in New England area and New York, USA and one in Toronto, Canada. Collaboration with Shary Boyle (live drawing on overhead projector), Tara Burke (vocals), Jeffrey Alexander (guitar) and Miriam Goldberg (cello)
July 17th 2004, Elektronisk Jazzjuice 2004, Musikkafeen, Århus, Denmark
July 11th 2004, Everybody In The Boat!, Bryssels, Belgium
July 10th 2004, P’ti Faystival, Petit Fays, Belgium
July 8th 2004, Knieschussclub Zakk, Bremen, Germany
February 2nd 2004, Tampere Biennale, Klubi, Tampere, Finland
October 10th 2003, Amstel Festival VPRO, Amsterdam, Netherlands
March 1st – 9th 2003, Heartflowers tour, Seven concerts, European tour in Finland, Sweden,
Denmark and Belgium
September 6th – 15th 2002, A Love Cycle tour, Six concerts in Sweden, Germany,
Netherlands and Belgium
November 9th 2001, Avantofestival, collaboration with Pekka Airaksinen, Helsinki, Finland
November 27th 1999, (K-RAA-K)3 evening, Es: Flick cd release party, Ten Weynhaardt, Bryssels, Belgium

Albums (selected)

2009 Es: Kesämaan lapset (Solo album)
2007 Kemialliset Ystävät: s/t CD/LP (musician)
2005 Es: Sateenkaarisuudelma 2LP (Solo album)
2004 Es: Kaikkeuden kauneus ja käsittämättömyys CD (Solo album)
2004 Kiila: Silmät sulkaset CD (composer, sound engineer, producer and a musician)
2004 Magyar Posse: Kings Of Time CD (Producer)
2002 Kemialliset Ystävät: Kellari Juniversumi CD (sound engineer and a musician)
2001 Kiila: Heartcore CD (composer, musician, sound engineer and a producer)
2000 Es: A Love Cycle CD (Solo album)
1999 Es: Flick CD (Solo album)

Awards and nominations

2009 Oulu Music Video Festival, First price for Ambulanssikuskitar music video (Cinematographer)
2009 Oulu Music Video Festival, Honorary mention for Maailmanloppu music video (Director)
2009 Muuvi Gala, Nomination for best music video of 2008, Risto: Putoan kaivossa (Director)
2007 Emma Gala nomination, Critics choice, Eleanoora Rosenholm: Vainajan muotokuva album (Producer)
2007 Gramex 40-year prize nomination

Memberships

Muu RY
AV-Arkki
Rajaraide Association