Career
His films can be categorized somewhere between the traditions of classic documentary film-making, avant-garde and video art Taanila has participated to numerous international group shows, such as Aichi Triennale, Nagoya (2013), Schriftfilme, Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe (2013), Arctic Hysteria at Personal.1. (2008), Shanghai Biennale (2006), Berlin Biennale (2004) and Manifesta 4 (2002).
Solo shows include Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki (2013–2014), Contemporary Art Museum, Saint Louis (2013), TENT, Rotterdam (2013), Galleria Heino, Helsinki (2010), Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe (2008), Dazibao, Montréal (2007) and Migrosmuseum, Zurich (2005).
In the summer 2012 Taanila participated at dOCUMENTA (13) with a three channel ( 3 x 16 metres) video installation The Most Electrified Town In Finland (2012). The piece uses documentary footage during the construction of Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant in Finland.
Taanila and Jussi Eerola have directed also a documentary called Return of the Atom which examines the construction of the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant. Return of the Atom premiered in Toronto International Film Festival in 2015 and it will be seen in cinemas in Finland starting November 6, 2015.
