Pilvi Takala, The Pin
Marking the second co-commission between High Line Art and Frieze, Takala’s latest performance uses subtle disruption as a powerful artistic tool
Marking the second co-commission between High Line Art and Frieze, Takala’s latest performance uses subtle disruption as a powerful artistic tool
At The Shed
Wednesday, May 7: 12PM - 1:30PM
Friday, May 9: 3PM - 4:30PM
Sunday, May 11: 1PM - 2:30PM
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At The High Line
Wednesday, May 7: 2PM - 3:30PM
Friday, May 9: 5PM - 6:30PM
Sunday, May 11: 11AM - 12:30PM
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About the Project
Audiences will encounter The Pin, a new performance by Berlin-based artist Pilvi Takala, co-commissioned by High Line Art and Frieze and curated by Taylor Zakarin, Associate Curator, High Line Art. Takala’s practice is centered on poking, prodding, and questioning conventions and codes to investigate the hidden rules that govern our everyday environments – offices, parks, shopping malls and other public spaces. This latest performance continues her inquiry into discomfort and behaviour, using subtle disruption as a powerful artistic tool.
The Pin is set in motion by actors who canvass the park, identifiable only by a pin fastened to their shirts, blending in with the public until they spontaneously approach unsuspecting passersby. Each performer is trained to improvise based on a script written by the artist, following the responses of the participating public. The seemingly happenstance interactions expose our preconceived expectations of how we engage with others in public spaces, and what might bring strangers to either connect or disengage. In setting up these exchanges, Takala makes visible how we grapple with polite contact, inclusion and exclusion, while blurring the line between reality and fiction.
The Pin marks the second co-commission between High Line Art and Frieze, following Matty Davis’ Die No Die (The High Line) in 2024. Takala is also a past recipient of the Frieze Emdash Artist Award (2013).
About the Artist
Pilvi Takala (b.1981, Helsinki, Finland) lives and works in Berlin and Helsinki. Takala represented Finland at the 59th Venice Biennial in 2022. Her work has also been shown at FACT Liverpool (2024); Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich (2023); Goldsmiths CCA, London (2023); Pavilion of MUNCH Triennale, Oslo (2022); Seoul Mediacity Biennale (2021); Moscow Museum of Modern Art (2021); Künstlerhaus Bremen (2019); Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki (2018); CCA Glasgow (2016); Manifesta 11, Zurich (2016); Centre Pompidou, Paris (2015); MoMA PS1, New York (2014); among others.
Further Information
Frieze New York, The Shed, 7 – 11 May 2025. Tickets are on sale – don’t miss out, buy yours now. Alternatively, become a member to enjoy premier access, exclusive guided tours and more.
A dedicated online Frieze Viewing Room will open in the week before the fair, offering audiences a first look at the presentations and the opportunity to engage with the fair remotely.
Frieze New York is supported by global lead partner Deutsche Bank, continuing its legacy of celebrating artistic excellence on an international scale.
Main image: Pilvi Takala, The Pin, Frieze New York 2025. Photo: Casey Kelbaugh
