Art delicacies from Helsinki

 

Saara and Molla were brave enough to enter the web and pose a bit.

 

Are you afraid of spiders? Or have you always wished to be inside of a spider web?

What a man can do can a spider so better, but a man can always try. In Taidehalli you can now see (and enter into) an art work by Tomás Saraceno and his assistants presenting a huge Black Widow web with a working title 14 Billions.

The exhibition where you can see even living spiders is open until October 3td.

http://taidehalli.fi/

My next stop today was the renovated Korjaamo Gallery, a magic box of contemporary art, inviting and inspiring.

When entering you see a collection of Martin Luther paintings by Heikki Marila.

The main exhibition at the moment is called Portrait Gallery, presenting marvellous paintings by Mari Rantanen. The big one is called Maria.

 

Mari Rantanen´s sense of colour and the virtuosity of her painting leave you stunned. And if you bend your knees you can see her golden shimmer in it´s full glory. Here is a detail of the portrait Nancy:

 

Portrait Gallery exhibition is open until October 7th. 

See the address and opening times here: www.korjaamogalleria.fi

Photos © Paula Hietaranta

Fiddler on the Roof plays here again

 

The poor milkman Tevye (Esko Roine).

There are musicals with a huge staying power, and Viulunsoittaja katolla (Fiddler on the Roof) is one of them. Since it´s Broadway opening night 1964 it has mirrored Jewish traditions, tragedies, hopes, sense of humour and power of love to millions of audiences all over the world, and now we happily welcome it again to Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri´s main stage.

Each generation interprets things of course on it´s own way, but this play has magic that nobody can destroy, not even the sourest critic.

Today´s Viulunsoittaja performance is perhaps more dynamic than nostalgic, everything painted energetically with a broad brush and vivid colours, but towards the end it does calm down beautifully.

I have to say that you must have a heart of stone if you don´t love it... 

The happiness of the newlyweds: the tailor Motel (Antti Lang) and 

Tevye´s oldest daughter Tzeitel (Anna-Maija Tuokko).

Photos @ Tapio Vanhatalo

Check the availability of the tickets here www.hkt.fi

Well done, Sofi Oksanen!

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At the moment perhaps Finland´s most famous author is Finnish-Estonian Sofi Oksanen with her acclaimed novels translated to many foreign languages and making her well known all over the world.

The publication of her new novel Kun kyyhkyset katosivat (When the Doves Disappeared, LIKE) was celebrated last week in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and the first edition of 100 000 copies is already almost sold out.

 

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This beautiful piece of dynamite, tiny and explosive, is an amazing writer, hardworking and skillful. Perhaps almost too skillful – the new novel is like a kaleidoscope that reveals all the time so many new colourful facets of people, events and lies that the reader don´t believe his eyes. The political history of Estonia in the forties and sixties described to the details is of course interesting and important - however in many places it is so heavy that it almost sinks the story.

But that does mean only you have to read the novel for the second time to really find out even the minor significant details.

And the title of the book, what does it mean?

”During the German occupation the Germans did eat the doves of Estonia”, Sofi said. 

The window of Suomalainen Kirjakauppa in Helsinki invited the readers to the bookstore during the first night of the publication.

Photos © Paula Hietaranta

http://www.kyyhkyset.fi/english/

http://www.sofioksanen.com/

www.like.fi/

60 minutes of pure joy

Monsieur Murecé (Simo Heiskanen) wants 

to make chicken soup of Max (Jyrki Kasper).

Photos @ Ilpo Vainionpää
 

Do you sometimes miss those early days of life when the world was full of magic, colours and surprises?

If yes, hurry to Espoon Kulttuurikeskus and find them there.

The dance company Glims & Gloms takes you to the fairyland country in it´s new dance-music-fun performance Viktor, hänen kukkonsa Max ja soittorasian arvoitus (Victor, his rooster Max and the Secret of the Music Box).

After the play I asked my seven year old companion if he liked it.

- No, he said.

Then he smiled.

- Ha-ha, I was just joking! Of course I did like it. When can I see it again?

Onion farmer Victor (Jouni Majaniemi), 

Vera the girl next door (Jonna Aaltonen) and Max (Jyrki Kasper) 

admiring the magical music box.

 

The multi-talented fellow Simo Heiskanen, 

one of the founders of Glims & Gloms, wrote the story, 

made the choreography, designed the sound world and dances and 
plays many roles, here as the big boss Hermolov.

 
Viktor, hänen kukkonsa Max ja soittorasian arvoitus is to be enjoyed until September 8th 2012 and then again after Christmas in Louhisali at Espoon Kulttuurikeskus, Tapiola. Check the details here: www.glimsgloms.com

You can enjoy a taste of it even via internet!!! See the lovely Jyrki Kasper as a Max the rooster: www.glimsgloms.com/viktor.html