Emil Santtu Uuttu: Lovely Daughter Erika – Notes on a name
PLACE: Migration Institute of Finland, Hämeenkatu 13 (3rd floor)
DATE & TIME: Tue 2.9. – Fri 5.9. at 9-11, at 12-14, at 14-16 and Sat 6.9. – Sun 7.9. at 10-12, at 13-15, at 15-17. The performances will continue after the Biennale at the Migration Institute on Wed and Thu at 9-11 and at 14-16 until 27.11.2025.
DURATION: 90–120 min. The piece is for 1–2 people at a time; reservations must be made for both participants simultaneously.
Advance registration required. Pre-registration for the performances will open in August.
LANGUAGE: Finnish language audio play subtitled in English. Appendices in Finnish and in English.
In a local story recorded by Mauno Malmgren, it reads ‘She was pleased when she was called Erika.’
The play examines questions of memory and the politics of history within a transhistorical framework. It engages with themes such as ableism, the significance of names, and ethical guidelines for researching recent history.
Historical imagination here refers to the researcher’s practice of constructing a reasoned account of the past based on sources and prior scholarship. The term ‘imagination’ signals that such an account is plausible but not necessary. The work imagines pasts and projects them into the archive and its materials.
The piece comprises an audio play, a video, and a set of appendices.
Working group
Playwright, director: Emil Santtu Uuttu
Artistic dialogue: Orlan Ohtonen
Filmography and editing: Camille Auer
Sound design: Tatu Nenonen
Dramaturgical dialogue: Ami Karvonen
Readers: Camille Auer, Ellen Aunio, Tari Doris, Mira Aurelia Eskelinen, Santi Garzón, Kid Kokko, Even Minn, Orlan Ohtonen, Kauri Sorvari
Production: Et alia, Kiasma-teatteri, Teatteri Takomo, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura
Support: Koneen Säätiö, Oskar Öflunds Stiftelse, SKR ja TAIKE.
In connection with the artwork, the Migration Institute of Finland invites contributions on queer migration.
The Migration Institute of Finlands seeks oral histories, written memories, and other personal materials from LGBTQIA+ individuals, communities, and movements who have challenged gender, sexuality, or relationship norms and who have migrated either to Finland from abroad or from Finland to other countries.
LGBTQIA+ people make up a vital part of migration histories, yet their stories are still underrepresented in our archives. With this oral history call, we aim to document the lived experiences of queer migrants today and enrich historical collections with materials that reflect past queer lives and movements. Submissions may include written testimonies, oral histories, photographs, letters, or other relevant materials.
This call is organized in collaboration with playwright Emil Santtu Uuttu.. The performance and this oral history call are part of a joint effort to explore and give visibility to queer history through archival research and contemporary performance.
Emil Santtu Uuttu’s artistic work often explores themes of inevitable change, pleasure, and the role of memory institutions and historical research. Lovely Daughter Erika – Notes on a Name (Teatteri Takomo, Kiasma Theatre, and Finnish Literature Society 2023) received both the Lea Award and the Archive Act of the Year Award.