JOHANNA LECKLIN

1972 Helsinki. Lives in Helsinki

Story Café. Video, 3 h, 2004-2007

In Story Café, Johanna Lecklin makes a deal – the visitor of the café will get a cup of coffee only if he or she agrees to tell the artist a story.
Johanna has formed an archive of stories from the Story Café recordings conducted in Limerick, London, Helsinki and Tallinn during the last four years; people tell the artist and the camera about events that they have kept silent about for some reason so far. Lecklin has heard the craziest, happiest and most tragic stories, fairytales and tales of religious experiences. Unhappy childhood memories and embarrassing episodes can acquire the shape of a juicy anecdote, helping the storyteller to observe and analyse the incident from an outsider’s perspective. The popularity of this performance suggests a gap in the social space, which would allow to share one’s experiences and fantasies without prejudice and obligations.





Photos: Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo 2007 © Center for Contemporary Arts, Estonia