OTHER LIGHTING VENUES
‘Hbl 150 Years’ Anniversary Lighting
The tower at the offices of Hufvudstadsbladet newspaper will host lighting designer Jukka Huitila’s lighting arrangement made to mark the newspaper’s 150th anniversary, featuring Hbl’s signature orange colour in beacon-like fashion.
Time: outside of daylight hours
Address: Mannerheimintie 18
Blue Line
The Blue Line lives according to the time of day, the four seasons and the city’s pulse, shining above the inner city’s longest undivided street axis. The Union Axis is the street axis between Tähtitorninmäki (the observatory hill) and Kallio church, consisting of Kopernikuksentie, Unioninkatu and Siltasaarenkatu streets.
A laser light draws a blue line from the roof of Helsinki Observatory to the Kallio church tower. The best spot to view the installation is the Union Axis itself. The installation was designed by Vesa Honkonen/Vesa Honkonen Architects LP.
The installation was made to mark the occasion of Helsinki’s 200th anniversary as the capital of Finland in 2012. It was launched on 10 December 2012, 135 years to the day from when electric lights were first lit in Helsinki or anywhere in Finland in 1877.
Time: According to the time of day, the season and the city’s pulse
Address: Kopernikuksentie, Unioninkatu and Siltasaarenkatu
WALKING TOURS
Guided walking tours will be held in Finnish every day during the event at 5:30 and 6:30 pm. Tours in Russian will be arranged on Saturday and Sunday 4 and 5 January at 5:30 and 6:30 pm, and Monday to Wednesday 6–8 January at 5:30 pm. Tours in Swedish will be arranged on Saturday to Tuesday 4-7 January at 5:30 and 6:30 pm. Tours in English will be arranged on Saturday to Tuesday 4-7 January at 5:30 and 6:30 pm, and on Wednesday 8 January at 6:30 pm.
The maximum tour duration will be 1.5 hours. Entry is free of charge.
Tour participants must register in advance by picking up a ticket at the City of Helsinki Tourist Office (Pohjoisesplanadi 19) from 27 December onwards. Each tour is open to a maximum of 20 participants.
Tours in Finnish and Swedish depart from the blue container at the National Opera Amphitheatre. Tours in English and Russian depart from the Lux Helsinki information container at Senate Square.
LIGHT ART SYMPOSIUM
On Wednesday 8 January, from 11 am to 7 pm, the Kiasma Theatre at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma will host the international light art symposium Invisible Light. The symposium is open for everyone and the entry is free of charge. No preregistration is required. The language of the symposium is English.
The symposium explores light art. It concentrates on both artworks created by light and also seeing, experiencing and perceiving light. How to see and sense pure light without objects that reflect light? How to present pure light as an artwork? How light installations should be seen and experienced?
The symposium’s speakers include international top names in the field. Present are also artists from Lux Helsinki who introduce themselves in evening part of the symposium.
Mischa Kuball, Conceptual artist and Professor of Holographie and Light Art from the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Germany, will talk about his artistic practice with light in the public sphere. What possibilities does light have when it comes to communication and engagement? What social and political dimensions does the light have?
Dawna Schuld, Assistant Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art, Indiana University, USA talks about perceptual conditioning and the origins of californian Light & Space art. Her specialty is in American art since 1960's, particularly minimal art and installation art.
Bettina Catler-Pelz, Curator focused on light art, design and architecture, Germany, discusses the relevance of the festivals of light within the international contemporary art community.
Juha Rouhikoski, Light artist and PhD student from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, focuses on problematics of presenting and perceiving non-objective artworks created by light.
Harald Arnkil, Artist and Senior Lecturer from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, will demonstrate on the dependence of context and on the relativity of seeing and perceiving.
The symposium is opened by Markku Uimonen, Professor of Lighting Design from the Theatre Academy at the University of the Arts Helsinki, and the Artistic Director of Lux Helsinki. The moderator is Jan Kaila, Artist and Professor of Postgraduate Programme, the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts at the University of the Arts Helsinki.
The symposium is part of the doctoral studies of doctoral student Juha Rouhikoski from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts at the University of the Arts Helsinki.
During the event, the seminar room of Kiasma transforms into sideshow space, presenting Hallucination Machine by Juho Itkonen and Color Sensing Experiment by Juha Rouhikoski.
In collaboration with the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma.
Download the whole programme (pdf)
Time: Wed 8 January, 11 am-7 pm
Address: Kiasma Theatre, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Mannerheiminaukio 2
The event in Facebook
CAFÉS AND RESTAURANTS
Charity Cafés
Kympin Lapset, Kansalaistori
A hot drink or sausage bought to support a good cause will warm your body and soul. The stall will sell grilled sausages (meat and soy versions), biscuits, coffee, tea and hot juice. The charity supports child cancer patients and their families during and after treatment at Helsinki University Central Hospital.
Time: 5 pm-10 pm
Place: Kansalaistori
Lions Club Helsinki-Torni and Helsinki-Maininki
The stall will sell high-quality sausages and hot juice. One grilled sausage for EUR 3 or two for EUR 5; cup of hot juice for EUR 1.
Lions Club Helsinki-Torni was established on 17 May 1957 and carries out charity work in line with the Lions Club goals. The international Lions motto is “We Serve”. All proceeds from the café will go to support children, with 25% going to the New Children’s Hospital 2017, 25% to SOS Children’s Village Tapiola, 25% to Ward 10 at the Department of Paediatrics, and 25% to the Lauttasaari Music School.
Time: 5 pm-10 pm
Place: National Opera Amphitheatre
Lux Helsinki restaurant discounts
National Museum of Finland Café
During the event, the cosy café at the National Museum of Finland will be open until 10 pm! Enjoy snacks and a hot drink while watching the light artworks.
Special dishes have been designed inspired by the artworks: a wintry clear fish soup served with rye bread bring to mind the sea and archipelago, like FYR, while Snailtrail has given rise to a spicy dish of escargots served with baguette. The café is fully licensed.
Time: 4–8 January, Sat-Sun 11 am-10 pm, Mon 5 pm-10 pm, Tue-Wed 11 am-10 pm
Address: Mannerheimintie 34
Café Vanha
Special offer at Café Vanha during Lux Helsinki: hot cocoa with date cake for EUR 5. Located right next to the Urban Flipper!
Time: 4–8 January, daily 9 am-11 pm
Address: Mannerheimintie 3
Restaurant Macu
Special offer at Macu during Lux Helsinki: hot toddy with marshmallow skewer for EUR 8. Located close to the artworks at Töölönlahti bay!
Time: 4–8 January, daily 11:30 am-midnight
Address: Hotel Crowne Plaza Helsinki, Mannerheimintie 50
Restaurant Nuevo
Located in the Tori Quarters by Senate Square near the installation Corazón. Discounts valid between 3 and 11 January 2014.
Menu Lux Helsinki at Restaurant Nuevo, EUR 36
TAPAS
Chorizo con alioli
Chorizo with olives and alioli
Mousse de huevas
Roe mousse with malt loaf croutons
Recommended wine: Don Gonzalo Oloroso, A.R. Valdespino, EUR 7.90 (8 cl)
Paella mixta
Paella with chicken, prawns, chorizo, bell pepper and mussels
Recommended wine: Waltraud Riesling 2012, Miguel Torres, EUR 14.10 (16 cl) / EUR 66.00 (bottle)
Pudín de queso quark
Quark pudding with poached pineapple
Recommended wine: Mistel Josefina Piñol Blanc 2011, Celler Vinos Piñol, EUR 14.60 (8 cl)
Time: Mon-Fri 11.30 am-midnight, Sat 2 pm-midnight, closed on Sundays
Address: Sofiankatu 4
Restaurant Sunn
Restaurant Sunn is located in the Tori Quarters by Senate Square. Special offer during Lux Helsinki: Blueberry chocolate fondant with hot blueberry toddy for EUR 15.50.
Time: Sat 10 am-11 pm, Sun 10 am-10 pm, Mon-Tue 11 am-10 pm, Wed 11 am-11 pm.
Address: Aleksanterinkatu 26
OTHER EVENTS
Aikeen edistämiskeskus: Päivä paketissa
Päivä paketissa (A Day in a box) is a distortion in the space-time continuum created by Aikeen edistämiskeskus (the “Intention Promotion Centre”) on the edge of Kansalaistori square. The work wants to prove to visitors huddling in the cold January weather that the sun will once again shine and mandolins will play next summer. The mandolins and other sunny performances in the eventful tent will be provided by varying guests. Might you find Tex Willer in the pike’s belly?
Aikeen edistämiskeskus is a free platform for performance art established in 2013. The brainchild of two production designers, Janne Vasama and Perttu Sinervo, the project has its heart in a grey tunnel tent which is easily moved from place to place.
Time: 5 pm-10 pm
Place: Between Kiasma and Sanomatalo
Hakasalmi Villa: Brylcreem exhibition
Why not visit the Hakasalmi Villa while viewing the light artworks? The Helsinki City Museum’s Brylcreem photography exhibition brings to life 1950s Helsinki, when the shadows of war made way for a new age of optimism. The touching photographs are full of memories and nostalgia: milk shops and nylon stockings, Brylcreem and leather jackets, the Olympics and Miss Universe Armi Kuusela. Entry is free of charge.
Time: 4–7 January 11 am-10 pm and 8 January 11 am-5 pm.
Address: Mannerheimintie 13b
Christmas World
Christmas World is a delightful Christmas market in the city centre where people gather to shop and spend time alongside Santa Claus, snowmen and other fun Christmas characters. Here you can enjoy Christmas music and special performances while sipping a mug of steaming hot mulled wine. In one of the cabins you can admire an impressive nativity scene created by students.
Altogether Christmas World has 24 market stalls selling high-quality textiles, delicious seasonal treats and gifts. You can visit Santa Claus in his own cosy cabin, where you can have your photo taken and write in his guestbook.
Time: From 30 November to 22 December and again from 26 December to 6 January. Open Mon-Fri 11-19, sat 10-18 and sun 11-18.
Place: Near the Three Smiths Square and the Old Student House
