Concert dessiné : Žižek Says!

Concert : Žižek Says!

Thursday 12 November 2026 at 20h

An exceptional graphic concert at the Institut finlandais: Ville Ranta, an artist acclaimed for his bold comic books, draws the concert live before the audience. The tumultuous duo, formed by accordionist Niko Kumpuvaara and saxophonist-singer Joonatan Rautiola, paints surrealist utopias combining Finnish, French and Ukrainian musical influences.

The main work of the concert Žižek Says ! is a musical theatre piece on the theme of power: the musicians try to deceive each other by playing out of tune, the instruments are manipulated like puppets and at the end, the singing voice takes over the musician's body, as if plunging us into a Žižek-like psychoanalysis. In this work given its world premiere at the Institut finlandais, composer Miika Hyytiäinen blends humour, the unsuspected potential of the human voice and experimental musical theatre.

ARTISTS

Ville Ranta is a multi-award-winning cartoonist. To date, he has published nine graphic novels translated into French by editions çà et là and Rackham. In Finland, Ville Ranta is best known to the general public as an editorial cartoonist. Since 2024, he has been a cartoonist for Helsingin Sanomat, the largest daily newspaper in the Nordic countries. His cheeky humour, bold approach to taboos, and expressive, dynamic watercolour drawings have won over readers.

Niko Kumpuvaara is a Finnish accordionist renowned for his versatility, from classical to popular and contemporary music. A soloist, composer, arranger and producer, he has contributed to numerous musical, theatrical and film productions. Winner of several competitions, he has directed various festivals in Finland and taught at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. A graduate of the Sibelius Academy, where he now teaches, he also performs as a bandoneonist, particularly in chamber music and musical theatre.

Joonatan Rautiola is a Finnish saxophonist and singer whose career is marked by collaborations with composers and artists across disciplines. He has performed on major international stages, notably with the Strasbourg and Düsseldorf Philharmonic Orchestras, at the Lucerne Festival, Salle Pleyel and Carnegie Hall. Professor of saxophone at the Sibelius Academy and the Conservatoire de Paris, he also maintains an active schedule of creation, concerts and international tours.

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As part of Sarjakuva 2026, the year of Finnish comics in France.