Myymälä2
A little background information on the space : The gallery was founded by Jani Joenniemi and Gareth Hayes on Mechelininkatu-street in 2002. The first exhibition, REBORNLUXURY, was at the same time a shop of Pusipusi-clothes by artists Frida Hultcrantz and Maija Luutonen. A couple of years later Myymälä2 moved to its current location in Uudenmaankatu, where the opening exhibition was the legendary ’Helsinki Hall of Fame’ organized by Karri Kuoppala, where underground graffiti scene gurus were painting the gallery walls all night long. Soon Myymälä2 had gained the reputation of a streetwise art space for all kinds of urban culture and visual art crossovers and Jan Konsin started running the space. Myymälä2 is the first of the ‘new wave’ of artist run spaces that started to appear in the early 2000s. Soon after Huuto! gallery opened and some years later Oksasenkatu11, XL-art space, 00130, SIC, and so on. Myymälä2 is a strong street art advocate. For a long time, the city officials' suffocating zero tolerance approach had an enormous effect on street art's practice and content. During that period, the venue played an active role in defending the banned forms of expression by distributing zines and hosting shows.
Myymälä2 is unique in the sense that it doesn't have a strict formal line. They aim at connecting with different scenes, not just the visual art scene, but also with comic art, graphic design, graffiti, skate culture and music. Myymälä2 emphasizes content and attitude in its exhibitions and looks for dedication to one’s work and a position outside of what you can find in mainstream culture.
=> Good to know : there are quite a lot of various kinds of events happening in Myymälä2 as well, not just exhibitions, such as concerts, film screenings, talks, which is quite unusual for a gallery space in Helsinki.
The place has a lot of self-published books, fanzines and records, as well as a small selection of clothes. The shop is also a cafe. Myymälä2 tries to give exposure to independent publications and other small edition printed items that have very limited availability in Helsinki in general.
A lot of artists work in their studios in the back rooms of Myymälä2. Many of them are part of the co-operative (osuuskunta) which runs Myymälä2 + other enthusiasts.
The space has open calls twice a year and selects from these. They have a continuous intense programming : in the spring, they organize the Fall programming and in the Fall, the Spring one. Members of the co-op also have access to the space on short notice to host events. This way Myymälä2 can be the front of the scene in terms of what’s going on in the city and society in general.
The space has open calls twice a year and selects from these. They have a continuous intense programming : in the spring, they organize the Fall programming and in the Fall, the Spring one. Members of the co-op also have access to the space on short notice to host events. This way Myymälä2 can be the front of the scene in terms of what’s going on in the city and society in general.
DYSTERBOTTEN
En annan sida av Österbotten / Toinen puoli Pohjanmaasta
Oscar Hagen & Beni Köhler
6-28.2.2016
One of the last shows at the venue, which can be seen in the photographs below, is “Dysterbotten” by artists Oscar Hagen & Beni Köhler which deals with hidden world of Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia) which means, basically, drug culture and use in that specific area. The exhibition was not pretty, as it deals with matters of alienation and becoming branded as a criminal and drug user by the society around you.
Address: Uudenmaankatu 23 F, Helsinki 00120
Website: www.myymala2.com
Opening hours: Wed-Sat 12pm–6pm, Sun 12pm–5pm, Mon-Tues Closed
Contact: info@myymala2.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Myym%C3%A4l%C3%A42/566528183462448?fref=photo
Sarjakuvakeskus Comics Center
In 2008, the Finnish Comics Society (Suomen sarjakuvaseura), Kutikuti comics collective and Pitkämies comics shop decided to join forces and create Sarjakuvakeskus in Kallio, Helsinki. Since then, Sarjakuvakeskus has moved, many things have changed and currently they reside here in Arabianranta.
The center takes into account customer feedback and ideas. For instance, they've even created courses based on customer requests. The center has also developed comics teaching methods.
=> Interesting fact : On top of their courses and adult and kid workshops, Sarjakuvakeskus also uses comics as a way to work with special groups, e.g. senior citizens, prisoners, disabled people.
The Finnish Comics Society has offices at Sarjakuvakeskus and the center publishes Sarjainfo magazine, runs an international residency programme and other international networking projects, as well as organizes in September Helsinki Comics Festival.
=> One of Sarjakuvakeskus top picks of the moment: check out Hanneriina Moisseinen's works. The center also recommends looking into Finnish comics blogs. Make sure to check out Sarjakuvakeskus' : Sarjakuvablogit.com
A special nod to funny newspaper strips which are quite a big thing in Finland right now.
=> A little bit of history:
The Finnish Comics Society started in 1971. At first, it dealt more widely about popular culture but soon focused solely on comics. Sarjainfo magazine was started in 1972 and Helsinki Comics Festival in 1979.
The point was and still is to promote comics culture in all sorts of ways. And, Finnish comics has since then flourished!
Finland is known for having many unique artists with highly visual and experimental styles. For such a small country, the scene in quite big and diverse. Not many people are in it for the money, which explains the seeming lack of conformity and commercial compromises.
There is no strong comics history such as there is in France (and Belgium), the US or Japan for instance. So the genres and formats are quite free here. That's another reason for Finland's experimental styles. It also is crucial that we have some public funding for arts.
=> Make sure to check out this week Ville Pirinen exhibition! On top of more known things such as Ornette Birks Makkonen, it features many less known works from Ville Pirinen's past. Also illustrations, album covers et. most of the works here are for sale, at very reasonable prices.They also have Pirinen's original works for sale at the shop, among other artists' works.
Ville tells about his works here: http://sarjakuvakeskus.fi/
What to look forward to in the future ? At some point the center will move to yet another, still unknown location. => The biggest event to come is Helsinki Comics Festival, a free event in Central Helsinki on 2–4 September.
 |
Suomen sarjakuvaseura // The finnish comics society
|
Further information:
Website: http://www.sarjakuvaseura.fi/fi/
Address:
Hämeentie 150
00560 Helsinki
Website: http://sarjakuvakeskus.fi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarjakuvakeskus/?fref=ts
Email: info@sarjakuvakeskus.fi
Phone: 09-6856100
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm
Sat 12am - 4pm
Directions:
From the centre of Helsinki, take bus 68, 71 or 74 or tram 6 or 8.
Orion
Helsinki with its mix of small town and urban atmosphere is a cinematic city as seen in films by Aki Kaurismäki and Peter von Bagh for example. Compared to many other European capitals, Helsinki has quite few cinemas, dominated by Finnkino, here as elsewhere in the big cities of Finland. There are, however, a lot of film festivals and events, e.g. Love & Anarchy and DocPoint. There are also audiences for the smaller, specialized events. A couple of new independent cinemas have opened recently, Kino Sheryl, Teatteri Union and Korjaamo Kino.
Orion is a must go-to place for any cinema lover who lives or travels to Helsinki. Designed by architect Martti Välikangas, it is a beautiful one-screen cinema in the art deco style. It used to be called "Bio Athena", and was founded in 1927. Located on Eerikinkatu 15, people still come to admire its lobby with grandiose pillars (that give a faux sense of perspective) and the delicate details of its interiors. Orion is currently the oldest cinema in Helsinki.
What is special about the film scene in Helsinki is that people don’t compete with each other: newcomers are welcome and people try to help each other out.
The Finnish Film Archive took over the cinema over 30 years ago in 1984. Before that, the film archive was screening films in different cinemas around the city. Nowadays the film archive is part of a larger organization called the National Audiovisual Institute (operating under the Ministry of Education and Culture), but the aim of Orion's programming is still the same: to show interesting films to all kinds of audiences and keep its film history alive. Audiences come to see their old favorites, but also discover new films, forgotten gems, as well as films from all over the world.
You can really transport yourself to another era when you come see a film here. A couple of years ago all of Helsinki cinemas were digitized, so now, to the great joy of many, Orion is one of the very few places in Finland where you can still watch 35mm films. They still have new technologies installed as well, for screening new films and also screening digitally restored films.
=> InsideOut Helsinki "coup de coeur": Orion's wonderful staff is also a major part in what makes this cinema so special. Most of the ushers, ticket sellers, and projectionists have worked with them for years and are an integral part in creating a sense of community in the cinema.
Orion's aim is to keep the programming versatile. They are the only cinema that screens old films regularly i.e. classic films, rare masterpieces, retrospectives from major auteurs and also not-so-well-known filmmakers. Nowadays the cinema also brings in new films that don’t get distribution in Finland otherwise. And of course, sharing the Finnish film heritage with their audience is an ongoing task.
=> Good to know : In recent years, film events have become a major attraction in Orion, especially sing-along screenings, such as Sound of Music, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Grease. It goes to show that cinemas are not just places to see films, they are also places for people to gather and meet each other and experience things together. There’s a sense of community that you don’t get watching films at home on a small screen.
What to look forward to in 2016 :
- In February, classic comedy screenings, e.g. Buster Keaton
- The Agnès Varda retrospective, one of the first New Wave directors in France
- Orion's spring sing-along screenings
- A spectacular evening around Moulin Rouge, where the cinema is collaborating for the first time with burlesque artists.
- The annual Fashion Film Festival Vintage in April, focusing on important costume designers.
- Programming of Luchino Visconti’s Death in Venice.
- In April as well, there will be films from the French actress and filmmaker Musidora accompanied by an experimental orchestra formed by students from the University’s Department of Musicology.
=> InsideOut Helsinki recommends Orion's ciné-concerts, i.e. silent film screenings with live music.
How about summer programming? Finns don’t go to the cinema a lot during the summer, but Orion keeps its doors open. As part of its summer season, which starts in May, they are doing a tribute to the late great David Bowie.
Further information:
Elokuvateatteri Orion
https://kavi.fi/fi/ohjelmisto
Address: Eerikinkatu 15, Kamppi, Helsinki
National Audiovisual Institute: https://kavi.fi/en/
Tickets:
Adults: 6,50 €
Children under 12 years: 3 €
Club card: 5 €
Zodiak
Zodiak's main entrance. Fun fact: the Z at the back of the hall is originally Nokia's N.
The special thing about Zodiak is that it is an “umbrella-venue” for the freelance contemporary dance, dance makers AND also for the audience.
At Zodiak’s core is the belief that art should come first; artists are still very much involved in the decision-making process and the shaping of the Center’s activities. Once a choreographer/production is selected in Zodiak’s performance program, they have full trust in the artistic team, and do their best to help them create their work.
=> Good to know: in addition to co-producing new contemporary dance works, Zodiak also organizes several dance courses per season. They are mostly open for anyone who wants to participate (no need to have a dance background).
Zodiak is a vital part of Helsinki's contemporary art scene, which in itself is very active and lively at the moment. There are a lot of artists who move fluently between different art forms, and by doing so, cause the art forms (dance, theatre, visual arts, music) to evolve and take new forms.
Images above are shot from the rehearsal for the show Divine - New Age musical by Go Go tanssiryhmä Kuumat Putket which is coming on December 2015.
Image of the braids and the wide view below are from a new show Epic Failing by Maija Hirvanen which has it's premiere on Wednesday 11th of November.
Images above are shot from the rehearsal for the show Divine - New Age musical by Go Go tanssiryhmä Kuumat Putket which is coming on December 2015.Image of the braids and the wide view below are from a new show Epic Failing by Maija Hirvanen which has it's premiere on Wednesday 11th of November.
Image above: © Zodiak, Anna Cadia - Paula Salminen - Satu Herrala: Merenneito Annabel ja surullinen Marjatta (Fall 2015). Photo: Katri Naukkarinen
In 1997, Zodiak Presents entered a new era by reinventing itself as the Zodiak – Center for New Dance, now with the mission of becoming a broader, more inclusive forum for both the dance profession and the general public. Zodiak – Center for New Dance premiered its first production at the Helsinki Cable Factory in February 1997. The Centre inherited its artist-led philosophy and independent production model from Zodiak Presents.
Helsinki’s dance scene is fairly active: most of the Finnish contemporary dance scene takes place in the Helsinki area. Helsinki is definitely the place to be, if you’re a dancer living or coming to Finland.
=> Zodiak is one of the few places in Helsinki where you can see dance, and only dance, throughout the year.
Image above: © Zodiak, Sonja Jokiniemi: Hmm (Spring 2015) Photo: Timo Wright
Zodiak – Center for New DanceFurther information
Zodiak stage entrance is through glass doors marked with the letter V. Doors open one hour before each performance. While waiting for the performance, the audience is invited to read culture magazines provided by Kultti ry and to enjoy the Zodiak Cafe. Buy tickets in advance!
Zodiak office is located at staircase B, 1 1/2 floor. Office is normally open between 11 am and 4 pm. Contact info of our staff can be found by scrolling down this page.
zodiak@zodiak.fi
Tel. +358 (0)9 694 4948
Fax. +358 (0)9 562 5805
Postal address:
Tallberginkatu 1 B/154
FIN-00180 Helsinki
Full program and more info: www.zodiak.fi
Galleria Huuto
Galleria Huuto is one of Helsinki's go-to art galleries for a variety of reasons.
First of all, it has the uniqueness of being located in two places. Its first location, Uudenmaankatu, is in the Punavuori district, otherwise known as Helsinki's design destrict. This gallery is smaller, and usually showcases more traditional mediums, such as painting or photography. More recently Huuto branched out and opened a venue, Jätkäsaari, in Helsinki's dock harbor neighborhood. This gallery is bigger, and has 3 different exhibition spaces: Jätkä 1 and 2, and smaller room for video artists.
You can almost always find someone to talk to you about the different art pieces there, which is agreeable and not always the case in contemporary art venues.
Huuto makes it a point not to specialize in a certain genre: it is open to a variety of different contemporary international artists, and targets especially younger emerging artists as well as experimental art.
More like an art collective than a gallery per sae, Huuto functions a lot on a voluntary-based model, and collaborates with a number of other institutions, such as Helsinki International Art Program (HIAP).
When we visited Huuto for our article, we had the chance to encounter three special artist shows, which gives you a good idea of Huuto's philosophy:
Jätkä 2
Emilia Niskasaari, Pirjetta Brander,
Landfill
The Helsinki based-duo Emilia Niskasaari and Pirjetta Brander have created an installation made of recycled cardboard paper, Landfill, which gives an anguishing feel of birds smashing into one another, but also, paradoxically, leaves you with an ethereal impression of a child's room left behind after chaos.
For more information:
Pirjetta Brander: pirjettabrander@pirjettabrander.com // www.pirjettabrander.com
Emilia Niskasaari: emilia.niskasaari@uniarts.fi
Emilia Niskasaari: emilia.niskasaari@uniarts.fi
Jätkä 1
Videokaffe,
Standing alone
Videokaffe is an international and interdisciplinary art collective, that created an interactive installation, Standing alone, for its show at Huuto. Standing alone means that each piece is of a different member of the collective, and can be viewed in itself.
For more information:
videokaffe@gmail.com
www.videokaffe.com
Pikkujätkä
Hinni Huttunen,
SLEEVELESS / FEARLESS
Finnish artist Hinni Huttunen screened in Huuto's video room, Sleeveless/Fearless : a video work which questions our relationship to beauty norms, while the artist's arms jiggle in a hypnotic-type trance, as the video loops.
When entering the venue you feel like you are in a big artist loft in Brooklyn. The atmosphere is laid back, the ceilings high, and there is a general art-friendly atmosphere to the place.
www.galleriahuuto.net
| UUDENMAANKATU |  | |
|
| ||
Muu Gallery Kaapeli
Helsinki is a city bubbling with creative and artistic alternative places. MUU gallery - which is part of MUU Artist’s Association which aims to represent and promote new and experimental forms of art – is an example of Helsinki’s experimental contemporary art scene stage.
The beautiful brightly sun-lit gallery is located in Helsinki’s cable factory, Finland’s biggest and most unique cultural venue, housing several museums, art schools, galleries and artist residencies.
An example of some of the work that is shown at the gallery - which you can see in our photos- is recent exhibition, Almost, by Finnish artists Suvi Härkönen and Pavel Ekrias, that explored states and experiences of change.
MUU
is an uncommercial multiform space showcasing various installations,
video art, sound pieces and performance exhibitions by emerging artists
but also acclaimed artists from the experimental art field.
It also hosts many various video screenings, concerts and performances by artists and curators from Finland and abroad.
Good to know : MUU Gallery is one of the organizers, and stops, of Helsinki Art Walks, a guided gallery tour project of the capital.
Further information :
Address: Tallberginkatu 1, 00180 Helsinki
Phone:+358-(0)9-625 972
Email:muugalleria(at)muu.fi
Website: www.muu.fi
Opening hours:
Tue – Fri 12 pm – 5 pm
Sat – Sun 12 pm – 4 pm
0 comments:
Post a Comment