Live Design's fifth annual 31 Days Of Plots features one production per day during the month of December 2022, highlighting a different lighting design, from across theatre, concert tours, corporate events, live for broadcast, and more, as we wind down 2022 and head toward the new year.
International lighting, video, and production designer Mikki Kunttu shared his lighting plot and thoughts about KARU which took place in March 2022, in Seinäjoki, Finland. Live Design chats with the designer.
Mikki Kunttu: Karu is a duet between myself and accordionist Antti Paalanen.
Antti contacted me during the pandemic and we started creating a concert setup that would be closer to an installation or something like that. My aim was to create a piece that could be performed almost anywhere, a piece that is not absolute in it’s technical specs. By this, I mean that we can be very flexible towards the gear and I’m very open to the fact that the performance might look very different from venue to venue. It also kinda has this artisan feeling that I think accordion as an instrument proposes very naturally. The sets form a complete circle around Antti and though they look very solid and heavy, they are actually built out of cardboard and they are self supporting and super lightweight. The sets are also rainproof so we could potentially set this up outdoors as well. I think it is a very very cost effective way of creating something that has a strong artistic stamp. Which is also something I wanted to explore. To create something visually strong with a minimal budget.
As far as the performance itself goes, the visual has the same character as the music - it is rough, somewhat dark in it’s spirit and the circle form proposes something shamanistic, ritualistic as well. Now we are very much looking for dates at different kinds of venues and festivals to bring this to. We are very interested in arts festivals, light festivals and really anything the weirder the better. I think an evolved version of KARU would fit Burning Man like a glove!
Crew
- Lighting & Set Designer, programmer and operator : Mikki Kunttu
- Head of Lighting: Lauri Virkkala
Lighting Gear
- MA Lighting MA3 light, Vizkey, MA2 Light
- Claypaky Axcor Spot 300 (6)
- Robe Robin 300 LEDwash (12)
PAR64 CP62 WFL (4).
MDG Atmosphere hazer.
Photo copyright: Mikki Kunttu