The work of visual artist, magician and stage director Kalle Nio is a combination of magic, visual arts, cinema, art-history, circus and theatre. In his stage performances and cinematic installations, he is an inventor, performer and a researcher creating encounters between past and the present, between magic and visual arts, between the high arts and the sideshows, between craft and technology, between real and illusions.
He often uses elements from 19th century stage magic as the starting point for his highly visual explorations of human body and human relationships in our society.
Nio has master's degree in fine arts from University of Arts Helsinki. With his performing arts group WHS he has performed in more than 30 different countries. His visual arts exhibitions, video installations and short films have been shown in museums and galleries in Finland and abroad. He is also one of the founders of Teatteri Union, art-house cinema and performing arts venue in Helsinki.
He often uses elements from 19th century stage magic as the starting point for his highly visual explorations of human body and human relationships in our society.
Nio has master's degree in fine arts from University of Arts Helsinki. With his performing arts group WHS he has performed in more than 30 different countries. His visual arts exhibitions, video installations and short films have been shown in museums and galleries in Finland and abroad. He is also one of the founders of Teatteri Union, art-house cinema and performing arts venue in Helsinki.
Stage works available for touring:
Black Magic
The Green
Workshop "Moving Image In Space" (moving image workshop for professionals & students, ask for details!)
Black Magic
The Green
Workshop "Moving Image In Space" (moving image workshop for professionals & students, ask for details!)
Stage works
2023 Black Magic
2021 Painting Machine
2019 The Green
2016 Cutting Edge
2013 Lähtö
2012 Tutkimusmatkailija
2010 Nopeussokeus
2008 WHS: Puun syy
2006 WHS: Keskusteluja
2004 WHS: Katoamispiste
2003 WHS: Odotustila
2023 Black Magic
2021 Painting Machine
2019 The Green
2016 Cutting Edge
2013 Lähtö
2012 Tutkimusmatkailija
2010 Nopeussokeus
2008 WHS: Puun syy
2006 WHS: Keskusteluja
2004 WHS: Katoamispiste
2003 WHS: Odotustila
Solo exhibitions
2021 Painting Machine
2019 Tulivuori/Volcano
2017 Trick Brain
2015 W/M
2013 Masks & The Machine
2012 Bardo
2021 Painting Machine
2019 Tulivuori/Volcano
2017 Trick Brain
2015 W/M
2013 Masks & The Machine
2012 Bardo
Collaborations
2023 Taikaa! / Magic! Kerava Art Museum Sinkka. Curator and artist in international group exhibition.
2021 Kalle Nio & Hans Rosentröm: Weaving, yearning, public sound installation
2020 Cecilia Damström & Kalle Nio: Superevolo
2018 Circo Aereo: Perhonen, Artistic advisor, Video projections
2018 Squarehead Productions: Articulations, Artistic advisor
2018 Andrea Salustri: Materia, Outside eye
2017 The Trick That Cannot Be Explained, concept, director
2017 Circo Aereo: Kinema, Video and stage designer
2016 Theatre Incline: Nordicité, Set and video designer
2016 NoFit State: Circus in Circles, Magic and video consultant
2014 David Blaine: Real or Magic, Magic and video advisor
2007 European Theatre Collective: All what you can get, Projection designer
2006 Circo Aereo & Les Objets Volants: Espresso, Projection designer
2004 Circo Aereo: Super 8. Projection designer
2023 Taikaa! / Magic! Kerava Art Museum Sinkka. Curator and artist in international group exhibition.
2021 Kalle Nio & Hans Rosentröm: Weaving, yearning, public sound installation
2020 Cecilia Damström & Kalle Nio: Superevolo
2018 Circo Aereo: Perhonen, Artistic advisor, Video projections
2018 Squarehead Productions: Articulations, Artistic advisor
2018 Andrea Salustri: Materia, Outside eye
2017 The Trick That Cannot Be Explained, concept, director
2017 Circo Aereo: Kinema, Video and stage designer
2016 Theatre Incline: Nordicité, Set and video designer
2016 NoFit State: Circus in Circles, Magic and video consultant
2014 David Blaine: Real or Magic, Magic and video advisor
2007 European Theatre Collective: All what you can get, Projection designer
2006 Circo Aereo & Les Objets Volants: Espresso, Projection designer
2004 Circo Aereo: Super 8. Projection designer
Awards
2020 Finnish Magic Circle, Magician of The Year
2015 State Award for Multidisciplinary Art, WHS
2014 Helsinki Cultural Prize, WHS
2014 Raimo Utriainen Art Foundation Award for young sculptor
2014 Säde-award from Finnish Theatre Union for the best video design of 2013
2000 3rd prize in the world championships of magic (FISM). In the Inventions category.
2020 Finnish Magic Circle, Magician of The Year
2015 State Award for Multidisciplinary Art, WHS
2014 Helsinki Cultural Prize, WHS
2014 Raimo Utriainen Art Foundation Award for young sculptor
2014 Säde-award from Finnish Theatre Union for the best video design of 2013
2000 3rd prize in the world championships of magic (FISM). In the Inventions category.
Education
2014 Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (MA Fine Art)
2014 Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (MA Fine Art)
Other
President of The Finnish Magic Circle, Taikapiiri
Co-founder of Teatteri Union (cinema and visual theatre stage in Helsinki)
Trained film projectionist
Director, photographer & editor of various short films, music videos, commercials and tv-shows
President of The Finnish Magic Circle, Taikapiiri
Co-founder of Teatteri Union (cinema and visual theatre stage in Helsinki)
Trained film projectionist
Director, photographer & editor of various short films, music videos, commercials and tv-shows
Selected shows
During the years 2004-2023 more than 200 shows in more than 150 different theatres in more than 30 different countries.
For example:
2023 TPAC, Taipei Performing Arts Center, Taiwan
2023 Art and Museum Centre Sinkka, Finland
2021 EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Finland
2019 Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes, Charleville-Mézières, France
2019 São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Lisbon, Portugal
2019 Centro Cultural Vila Flor, Guimarães, Portugal
2019 Teatro Viriato, Viseu, Portugal
2019 Festival Materia Prima, Krakow, Poland
2018 Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, Budapest, Hungary
2018 London International Mime Festival, UK
2017 Teatro Sao Luiz, Lisbon, Portugal
2017 GIFT festival, Tbilisi, Georgia
2017 Festival Unidram, Germany
2017 Terrassa New Trends, Terrassa, Spain
2017 ReRiga, Riga, Latvia
2016 Théâtre de la Cité internationale, Paris, France
2016 Helsinki Festival, Finnish National Opera, Finland
2016 KUMU art museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2017 Festival Lutke, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2015 Festival Les Boreales, La Comedie de Caen, Caen, France
2015 La Brèche, Cherbourg-Octeville, France
2015 Skupa's Pilsen, Plzen, Czech Republic
2015 Omissis festival, Gradisca D'Isonzo, Italy
2014 KUMU, Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia
2014 Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota, Teatro Nacional La Castellana, Bogota, Colombia
2014 FIA 2014, Teatro Nacional, San José, Costa Rica
2014 FAE 14, Teatro Nacional, Panama City, Panama
2014 Les Migrateurs, Strasbourg, France
2013 International Crossroads festival, Antwerpen, Belgium,
2013 Festival de Teatro Nuevo Leon 2013, Monterrey, Mexico
2013 Teatro a Corte, Turin, Italy
2013 Icheon Art Hall, Icheon, Seoul, Korea
2012 Montréal Complètement Cirque, Montréal, Canada
2012 Intercity Festival, Teatro della Limonaia, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
2012 Stadttheater Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
2012 NH Art Hall, Seoul, Korea
2011 Kuandu Arts Festival, Taipei, Taiwan
2011 Altstadtherbst , Düsseldorf, Germany
2011 White nights International Festival, Perm, Russia
2011 La Méridienne, Théâtre de Lunéville, France
2011 Théatre de Rungis, Rungis, France
2010 Festival Incanti, Torino, Italy
2010 Macau Arts Festival, Macau
2010 Festival Otono, Madrid, Spain
2010 Shanghai, Expo 2010, China
During the years 2004-2023 more than 200 shows in more than 150 different theatres in more than 30 different countries.
For example:
2023 TPAC, Taipei Performing Arts Center, Taiwan
2023 Art and Museum Centre Sinkka, Finland
2021 EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Finland
2019 Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes, Charleville-Mézières, France
2019 São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Lisbon, Portugal
2019 Centro Cultural Vila Flor, Guimarães, Portugal
2019 Teatro Viriato, Viseu, Portugal
2019 Festival Materia Prima, Krakow, Poland
2018 Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, Budapest, Hungary
2018 London International Mime Festival, UK
2017 Teatro Sao Luiz, Lisbon, Portugal
2017 GIFT festival, Tbilisi, Georgia
2017 Festival Unidram, Germany
2017 Terrassa New Trends, Terrassa, Spain
2017 ReRiga, Riga, Latvia
2016 Théâtre de la Cité internationale, Paris, France
2016 Helsinki Festival, Finnish National Opera, Finland
2016 KUMU art museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2017 Festival Lutke, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2015 Festival Les Boreales, La Comedie de Caen, Caen, France
2015 La Brèche, Cherbourg-Octeville, France
2015 Skupa's Pilsen, Plzen, Czech Republic
2015 Omissis festival, Gradisca D'Isonzo, Italy
2014 KUMU, Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia
2014 Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota, Teatro Nacional La Castellana, Bogota, Colombia
2014 FIA 2014, Teatro Nacional, San José, Costa Rica
2014 FAE 14, Teatro Nacional, Panama City, Panama
2014 Les Migrateurs, Strasbourg, France
2013 International Crossroads festival, Antwerpen, Belgium,
2013 Festival de Teatro Nuevo Leon 2013, Monterrey, Mexico
2013 Teatro a Corte, Turin, Italy
2013 Icheon Art Hall, Icheon, Seoul, Korea
2012 Montréal Complètement Cirque, Montréal, Canada
2012 Intercity Festival, Teatro della Limonaia, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
2012 Stadttheater Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
2012 NH Art Hall, Seoul, Korea
2011 Kuandu Arts Festival, Taipei, Taiwan
2011 Altstadtherbst , Düsseldorf, Germany
2011 White nights International Festival, Perm, Russia
2011 La Méridienne, Théâtre de Lunéville, France
2011 Théatre de Rungis, Rungis, France
2010 Festival Incanti, Torino, Italy
2010 Macau Arts Festival, Macau
2010 Festival Otono, Madrid, Spain
2010 Shanghai, Expo 2010, China