I WAS LIVING IN A STRANGE PLACE

Henriikka Himma & working group:

I WAS LIVING IN A STRANGE PLACE

All is grey in the picture, it is raining The room is light and there is a small sink in the corner. Clouds can be seen through the window at times. And what I thought was private is architecture

Architect Helmi Kajaste writes in their book of essays Rakenna, kärsi ja unhoita (english: Build, suffer and forget) on how “The boundaries created by architecture enable the safe protection of an apartment and home for many. They delimit the chaotic world outside and say that here you can rest for a while".

They also write how "Even though the monumental style of a building can communicate the eternal, no building is eternal."

I WAS LIVING IN A STRANGE PLACE is a stage piece about home and the history, time and architecture of shared and private spaces. The work engages in dialogue with Kajaste's essays and, influenced by it, explores what kind of spaces and architectural worldviews our lives are formed through. The working group includes Henriikka Himma, Kaisa Karvinen, Julia Lappalainen, Nicolas “Leissi” Rehn and Sofia Palillo. How to bring someone with you to a place where you were and can no longer enter? The performance is part of Batlic Circle festival and is co-produced together with Circus Maximus.

I WAS LIVING IN A STRANGE PLACE is a part of Kulkue, a joint project between three Finnish art festivals. ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival (Kuopio), Hangö Teaterträff (Hanko), and Baltic Circle (Helsinki) create an exceptionally large-scale series of Finnish co-productions along with related tours. The project’s central goal is to promote the accessibility of the festivals and to prolong the life cycle of the performances. The project is financed by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.