September 2024: Radharani Pernarcic

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.

PAVILION OF EMBRACES // EMBRACES TO GO – Finland // 

“This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.”

The two-year project – PAVILION OF EMBRACES – is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia

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.

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.

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.

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.

July 2024: Old Oulunsalo

1.5.7.2024
Photographs of the local area from early last century, provided by Jarmo Helanen and Jussi Kiljander.

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.