In 2022–2023, the Visiting Professor of EKA Doctoral School is Esa Kirkkopelto. Together with Jaana Päeva, a researcher at the Faculty of Design, he will conduct a series of intensive seminars over two semesters and give feedback for doctoral students in Art and Design programme, focusing on how to choose and apply research methods for creative projects. In case of vacancies, also other EKA PhD students can apply for participation in the seminars.
Esa Kirkkopelto (1965) is a philosopher, artist-researcher, and performance artist, specialised in post-human performance, non-human embodiment, and the corporeal techniques of performing. He is the founding member of the Other Spaces live art group, with which he has been working since 2004. His artistic research focuses on the deconstruction of the performing body both in theory and in practice.
Kirkkopelto has worked as a professor of artistic research at the University of the Arts Helsinki (2007–2018) and Malmö Theatre Academy (Lund University, 2020–2022). He also holds the title of docent in aesthetics at the University of Helsinki. He was the leader of a collective research project “Actor’s Art in Modern Times”, focusing on the psychophysical actor training (2008–2011). He is a member of the board of the Society for Artistic Research (SAR), the initiator of the International Platform for Performer Training (since 2014), and the former core-convener of the Performance Philosophy association (2012–2022). Kirkkopelto has accomplished his doctoral studies in philosophy at the Université Strasbourg II (2003).
Previous visiting professors at the EAA Doctoral School have been Rolf Hughes (2019–2020), Danielle Wilde (2020–2021), Maarit Mäkelä and Mika Elo (2021–2022).