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September 2024: Radharani Pernarcic

Radharani’s Sound Oven – infusing small clay feathers with the energy of Bach

7th – 13th September 2024

“In the wider frame of a participatory project – Pavilion of Embraces, dedicated to human relations and our shared human story – I carry out a participatory practice with movement and clay. Various groups of people – families, couples, friends, schoolmates, coworkers etc – are invited to participate. I lead them into a playful, 30-60 min long session where they collectively create their own clay sculpture: a relationship materialised in clay. The practice is above all designed and meant to celebrate or explore our relations through a shared and heart-warming experience of being-together… and if some participants may lack another hand to dance with – there is mine for them.

Since the sculpture grows as a spontaneous result of the movement dialogue between hands, no fine art or dancing skills are needed: open hearts have all that is necessary. The practice is suitable for everyone.

The project is also designed as a gift-exchange, so that each participant creates a tiny imprint, given further to an unknown person in another country, and equally receives one. 

In the long-term picture of the project every participant contributes one clay feather into an eagle wing installation and becomes a part of a garden of relationships.” 

Whilst traveling around Finland by campervan, Radharani connected with communities in various ways. Whilst in Varjakka, she worked with local schoolchildren, running workshops that resulted in small clay objects imbued with the impressions of group movement.
Her international travels have lead to a collection of small clay feathers created and shared with the people she has met. She created nests for some of these feathers in various locations around Varjakka and Hailuoto.

Radharani’s Pavilion of Embraces project is supported by Culture Moves Europe

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July 2024: Warjakka Bio #4

25.07.2024

Peppifest

6 hours of the television adaptation of Pippi Longstocking that was first shown on Swedish TV in 1969. It was directed by Olle Hellbom, with screenplay by Astrid Lindgren herself. Inger Nilsson starred as Pippi with co-stars Pär Sundberg and Maria Persson, who played Tommy and Annika.

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July 2024: Warjakka Bio #3

18.7.2024

Finnish Blood Swedish Heart

Finnish Blood Swedish Heart is a 2013 documentary film by Mika Ronkainen about a Finnish father and son revisiting their former home in Sweden. The film won two Jussi Awards (Finnish Oscars) in 2014: Best Documentary and Best Music, and the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Documentary Film at the Göteborg Film Festival in February 2013.

The film was released theatrically in Sweden with the title Ingen riktig finne and in Finland titled Laulu koti-ikävästä.

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July 2024: Carina Ahlskog & Nea Landin

15.7.2024 – 26.7.2024

Two artists come to Varjakka for a 2-week collaborative research residency. Carina Ahlskog is a dancer/film-maker/visual artist from Nykarlby and Nea Landin is a dancer/media artist from Stockholm.

KALAMAJA will function as their base, and there is a special meet-the-artist fika party on Tuesday 2rd July at midday.

This residency is supported by Svenska Kulturfonden.

mo(ve)ment by Nea Landin (2021) – 3D printed traces of motion captured dance
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July 2024: Warjakka Bio #2

11.7.2024

Auringon Polttama / Sun Touched

A short dance film by Silja Tuovinen that explores the effects of sunlight. The 8-minute duration reflects the time it takes for light to travel from the Sun to Earth.

Screenings are at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00

Free entry. Capacity is very limited. Special cinema snacks are available from Cafe Hulina.

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July 2024: Reflections of CROWD

8-12.7.2024

This installation is a compilation of the processes of artistic work in the CROWD project over the years 2021-2023, designed by three young artists: Pontus Linder, Silja Tuovinen and Anni Puuperä, the mentor – Julian Owusu – who worked with them, and the artistic directors of TaikaBox: Tanja Råman and John Collingswood.

TaikaBox participated in the international CROWD – International Dance Exchange program together with 9 other international residency providers. The project focused on the development of working methods and processes based on community dance. Its goal was to deepen the professional skills of the artists who participated in the project and to expand their networks. Each residency participant selected one local artist who worked together with another international artist selected for the project. During the project, TaikaBox ry implemented annual two-week artist residencies in Varjakka. Each artist chosen by TaikaBox also visited one or two other artist residencies offered by an international partner.

The artists were inspired to work in Varjakka by the history of the area and local stories, nature and spending time with members of the community.

2021 – Pontus Linder worked in Varjakka, Nottingham and Cologne, together with Emma Lewis-Jones and Hannah Sampé.
2022 – Silja Tuovinen worked in Varjakka and Limerick, together with Rita Marcalo.
2023 – Anni Puuperä worked in Varjakka, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with Natalia Barua.

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July 2024: Warjakka Bio #1

Thursday 4 July 2024

Jukka Takalo: Merikosken Paluu
&
Varjakansaaren Poluilla Tapio Moilasen Matkassa

Back in the days of the sawmill, the Fish House became a temporary cinema, showing movies for the local community. Here at KALAMAJA, we have revived this tradition and are showing a programme of movies every Thursday in July.

On 4th July, Warjakka Bio opens with a special double bill. Jukka Takalo’s new single Merikosken Paluu, will be released in mid July, but we have a preview of the video, which tells about the history of the riverbanks of Oulu.
Alongside that, we are showing sections from a documentary made a few years ago on Varjakka Island. TaikaBox and Kulttuurivoimala followed Tapio Moilanen on a walk around the island, delving into stories from its history and examining the traces left behind by previous inhabitants.

Screenings are at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00

Free entry. Capacity is very limited. Special cinema snacks are available from Cafe Hulina.

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KALAMAJA tech details

Varjakka is about 18km from the centre of Oulu. It takes around 25 minutes by car. The bus service is minimal, with only one or two buses between Oulu and Keskipiiri each day. There is a more frequent bus service between Oulu and Niemenranta. Bicycles can be provided for getting around locally.

The nearest grocery store is in Niemenranta. In the village, Warjakan Bar & Grill serves hot food, and during the Summer months, Hulina Kiosk is open from 12:00 until 18:00 each day in the harbour, serving hot and cold drinks, ice creams and snacks.

There are various footpaths through local forests, and across the nature reserve at Akionsaari. (Franzeninkuja is a private road and Varjakka Manor is not accessible)
The harbour is active, with around 60 small boats docked there throughout the Summer. The beach is ideal for swimming on a hot day. Keys to the cable ferry to Varjakka Island can be hired from Warjakan Bar & Grill.

KALAMAJA is a single-roomed wooden shed situated in a grassy yard in Varjakka Harbour. The shed has six LED spots and two 12A power sockets, all of which work via extension cord to the power supply 60m across the field. There are two windows with protective shutters which can be closed to create a dark space.
KALAMAJA is wheelchair accessible, but the surrounding ground is fairly uneven. The yard contains a fire pit (suitable for grilling) and a picnic table. Toilets are available 100m away at the swimming beach.

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July 2023 – Local Heroes

Local Heroes was the first exhibition in KALAMAJA during Summer 2023. TaikaBox worked with Oulu-based photographer J P Manninen to make portraits of some of the Varjakka residents who are active within the local community.