I was living in a strange place

The work of Henriikka Himma and her working group engages in dialogue with a book of essays by Helmi Kajaste, Rakenna, kärsi ja unhoita (Build, suffer and forget). The book asks us through which kinds of spaces and architectural worldviews we construct our lives.

In the image, everything is grey, it rains
The room is light in colour and there’s a sink in the corner. Here and there, clouds are passing by the window.
And what I thought was private is architecture

In her book of essays, Rakenna, kärsi ja unhoita (‘Build, suffer and forget’), Helmi Kajaste writes about how “the frame set by architecture enables many to have a place to live and the safety provided by a home. It leaves the chaotic world outside and tells you that you can rest here for a while”. 

She also writes how “Even though the monumental style of a building may convey a sense of eternity, no building will last forever.”

I was living in a strange place is a work on the history, time and architecture of, and the home created by shared and private spaces. The work engages in dialogue with Kajaste’s collection of essays and, influenced by it, examines what kinds of spaces and architectural landscapes we use to construct our lives. The members of the working group are Henriikka Himma, Kaisa Karvinen, Julia Lappalainen, Nicolas Rehn and Sofia Palillo. The costume design is by Hanne Jurmu. 

How to bring someone with you to a place where you were and can no longer enter?

I was living in a strange place is a part of Kulkue project. Kulkue is a joint project of three major art festivals. ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival (Kuopio), Hangö Teaterträff (Hanko) and Baltic Circle Festival (Helsinki) are carrying out an exceptionally broad series of joint productions from Finland and a tour built around the works. The key goal of the project is to promote the accessibility of festivals and extend the artwork lifecycle. The project is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.