HYPERREAALIYAH

About

Fundamentally, HYPERREAALIYAH is a simulation of an artist. It functions as a conceptual totality through which artists who understand its premises can channel their works. The anonymity of the collective form is particularly necessary when creating artworks that use copyrighted material or deal with socially or politically sensitive issues.

HYPERREAALIYAH was conceived by artist and writer Jenna Jauhiainen in the fall of 2014 after months of research into the thinking of Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007). The name HYPERREAALIYAH is a combination of two words - hyperreality and aaliyah. Hyperreality for Baudrillard refers to a reality more real than real. As our visual culture experiences the ecstasy of images it sacrifices its relationship with the real. Aaliyah on the other hand is a Hebrew word for ascent and refers to the return of diasporic Jews to the holy land of Israel. When hyperreality has become an everyday phenomenon, we are all in diaspora from the so-called holy lands of meaning. The purpose of HYPERREAALIYAH is to reveal the real behind the hyperreal whilst questioning the current structures of meaning production.

HYPERREAALIYAH poses no limitations when it comes to mediums, but at the moment we primarily work with digital material. We take images, videos and other material from the Internet as relics of hyperreality, and use them to create art. This is a very sensitive process when it comes to copyright. What we argue is that the conceptual totalities we create are independent of the original copyrighted material – as artefacts of the Internet, they are as naturalized as mountains and meadows are as subjects of painting or photography.

News

28/3/2018	Jenna has been working for months to write this documentary fiction piece about HYPERREAALIYAH. Thank you EDIT magazine for support.
21/3/2018	Cambridge Analytica has been on the news again this week. Exactly a year ago Jenna introduced this enemy and military memetics, too, to a small audience at the DANK CONTEMPORANEITIES symposium at the Aalto University. Now, finally, the KNOW YOUR ENEMY: MILITARY MEMETICS AND CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA video is online. This video was shown while Jenna gave a lecture about the topic, in good and proper karaoke style.
21/7/2017	As a part of Planet Suvilahti - Linnunrata 2017 and complementing the Universally Mad LoveTeaParty in Wonderland, HYPERREAALIYAH presents a new video work titled I AM THE END. The hypotheses we’ve attempted to visualize with this work is that there is a doppelgänger in each of us, or at least the capacity to be someone else, to lose ourselves, to go crazy. Methodologically we’ve dwelled into hypnotic, chaotic and psychedelic imagery, complemented with more conceptual, dualistic bits and pieces of great acting. As often is with our video works, I AM THE END is not suitable for sensitive audiences.
21/7/2017	We've done a massive video work for the bankrupt VISIO FESTIVAL 2017 which goes on for today and tomorrow - a two hours+ video work meant to PLURalize your soul. We're also testing a new software which makes it possible to shoot multiple videos through one projector.
3/7/2017	We've done it again, meaning, trolling IRL. There is a lot to write about this and I will surely get back to this News section at some point to tell you everything about this in English, too, but now, do enjoy this video documentation and if you're fluent in Finnish, read the description here on Youtube. Lasciatemi trollare!
20/6/2017	HYPERREAAALIAYH meets Aprox. tonight at Mascot with a video work titled, THE DOGS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN. Our dream has been to work with the Phil Collins of Kallio for so long, and now, finally, it has become reality.
26/4/2017	We're returning to Kaiku Club's Peräkammari on 5th of May, presenting the video work XXX NIHILO together with THRDEYEVSN. This will be a narrative exposure of a very particular vision of reality realized in the past couple of months. Surf here for the FB event.
23/3/2017	Two days ago Jenna presented a performative presentation at the Aalto University's DANK CONTEMPORANEITIES symposeium with the headline KNOW YOUR ENEMY: MILITARY MEMETICS AND CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA. This is something greatly inspirational for the whole collective at the moment, particularly as it provides a hypothesis that surpasses some of our wildest dreams. You can view a video of the presentation here.
26/12/2016	Like promised way back in September, the FESTRUCTION XDDDDDD mixtape made together with PULTSET for the OPEN SPACE DAYS in St. Pölten, Austria, is finally online. Thanks to our friends in Kaunas for pushing us to put this online, and may the Socialinis Centras Emma live long and prosper!
7/12/2016	Yesterday we (sort of) celebrated the independence day of Finland. Many demonstrations were held in Helsinki. The most problematic of them was a march organized by the Nordic Resistance Movement, a Swedish political party and a Neo-Nazi organization. In addition to Finnish members of the group, there were also Swedish Nazis who came to participate on the march. We decided to disturb their militaristic march over the Pitkäsilta bridge by walking next to them with a speaker blasting 'Den glider in', the victory song which the Swedes made in 1995 in anticipation of winning Finland in the finals of the Ice Hockey World Championship. Contrary to the glib expectations of the Swedes, 1995 became the first time Finland won the Championship and thus we took their song to celebrate our victory. MM95, as it is referred to in Finland, is an emotional soft spot of nationalistic pride for many Finns. By playing the song and singing it loud to the marching Nazis, we hoped to stir contradictory emotions in the Finns and Swedes who participated while implying that we have already won Sweden in the Blackberry Winter War of 1995. We have some audiovisual documentation of this action which might be released later.
1/12/2016	Max and Jenna trolled the Suomi Ensin! (Finland First!) demonstration against the Guggenheim Helsinki project. A curious object was created: a sign that read Нет! ("NO!" in Russian). The sign was totally kosher in the demonstration against Guggenheim Helsinki held on the Senate Square, but on the Market Square where the Finland First! group held its demonstration, it became an object non grata. The reason for this is the suspicion about Russian involvement in right wing activities in Finland. A video of this action (made by Finland First! activists on spot) can be seen here.
28/11/2016	Two nights ago, OPTIC ITALO party was held in a secret location in Helsinki. We were proud to celebrate the occasion by presenting a new video work, titled HYPERTROPIC. It is composed of associations we had of tropical matters, and as such it reveals the depths of our individual prejudices.
1/10/2016	A week ago, we took part in the Peli Poikki! demonstration against racism which attracted 15 000 participants to the center of Helsinki. We also went to various counterdemonstrations, including the Rajat Kiinni! (Close the Borders!) demonstration held in Narinkkatori. To our surprise, the openly racist group was sporting Pepe The Frog flag. We immediately felt the need to take Pepe back from the racists and show him a better party. Very quickly we managed to give the impression of being 'rajakki' ourselves, and got Susanna Kaukinen to give the flag to us. Photographic documentation of the demonstration and this spontaneous Free Pepe! action can be seen here .
11/9/2016	The Summer was chill for HYPERREAALIYAH. Jenna was invited to participate in Open Space Days in Sankt Pölten of Austria in mid-August. A new work was made - a mixtape and a video to go along with a dance performance (you know, rave). As soon as she's able to finish the last version of it, it will find its way online.
13/5/2016	We are proud to announce a collaboration with THE CHAMBER in hosting a club in Peräkammari during the night when JULIANA HUXTABLE spins in the main room of Kaiku. Our VJ set will be of atmospheric proportions.
8/5/2016	Today HYPERREAALIYAH participated in Paskan taiteen festarit with three of the worst videos and a VJ set. The festival was a success in its own category.
1/5/2016	With utmost respect for the number one Finnish holiday Vappu, we made a mixtape called Vappu????
5/4/2016	HYPERREAALIYAH and Kama Jonhson collaborated on a mixpete titled SEXY SYSTEM SHOCK, which is to be looped today at the vernissage of Gabrielė Gervickaite's exhibition Side Variantion of The Norm at Galerija MENO NIŠA in Vilnius.
27/2/2016	The Finnish Cultural Foundation has awarded Jenna with a working grant to continue zer work on Suomen Sisu's identity politics. Congrats!
12/12/2015	The screening of SUOLEN SISUN HISTORIIKKI in POLARIZED! film festival's Soppaa & Suhinaa club was a success, as testified by this in depth article published on the web page of University of Lapland.
18/11/2015	SUOLEN SISUN HISTORIIKKI will be screened during POLARIZED! film festival's Soppaa & Suhinaa club on Friday the 20th in Rovaniemi, Finland. Unfortunately no-one from HYPERREAALIYAH is able to be present at the screening.
27/10/2015	We are proud to announce that the WEIRD HISTORY OF FINNISH YOUTUBE ART 2005-2015 will be screened on 5th of November, 2015, at XI20 in Vilnius. Jenna will be there to serve sparkling wine.
8/10/2015	The series SYMPOLITICS will be shown in a screening in The Finnish Museum of Photography on 26th of October, 2015, where it will also be reviewed by Finnish and international specialists.
22/9/2015	The series SYMPOLITICS was chosen as a finalist to the 2015 EI Award and will be shown to reviewers in Braga during Encontros da Imagem.
19/9/2015	HYPERREAALIYAH has trolled the Finnish SS, Suomen Sisu by intercepting a commission for a private video-history of the organization and turning it into a public charade. The video can be viewed here.
19/8/2015	FAA, short for Finnish Art Agency, has included the screening of the WEIRD HISTORY OF FINNISH YOUTUBE ART 2005-2015 for its list of recommendations for the Helsinki Night of the Arts.
18/8/2015	Two days from now, HYPERREAALIYAH and Pultset will be presenting the WEIRD HISTORY OF FINNISH YOUTUBE ART in Kalleria during the Helsinki Night of the Arts. The video starts playing at noon and runs continuously until 10PM.
20/7/2015	Artworks by HYPERREAALIYAH will be on display in the xhibition HYPERREAALIYAH + HANNA HYY = NOW HERE during 1.8.-28.8.2015 in Kalleria, Helsinki.

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