Helsinki, December 2022 (test shot with Canon Datematic)
So from March 2020 we leaped into February 2022. Only to replace the pandemic with a war. I could leave it a that. But that would be unfair, because I live here in free cosy nook of Europe and I have been doing fun things and wouldn't it be unfair to be ungrateful. And you know - as cheesy as it sounds - these end of year updates are all about gratitude. Going through my year choosing bits and bobs to share. But all through the year there's always a room in my brain (it's a chaotic castle; but a castle never the less) occupied by the war. Maybe not just one room... more like a whole wing... two wings? It's a bloody castle eagle, it's all over the place, flap-flap. But here we go...
MUSIC
- The Holy at Tallinn Music Week. It's cool to have a band you love play in your hometown. Somehow Finnish bands end up playing in Tallinn a lot less than one would predict based on the distance.
- Caribou at Positivus Festival.
- Jamie xx at Positivus Festival. Jamie's my party 4ever.
- Black Country, New Road at Positivus Festival. The stage didn't have the greatest sound ever and stuff like that, but it lead me to this amazing band and their two albums that I love.
- Flow Festival. It was good to be back and this time also enjoy the full set by Florence + The Machine. And Fontaines D.C.! And jus you know - look at all the cool festival people and take dumb selfies.
- SOHN at Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin. Supported by awesome Liam Mour. Altogether a great concert with just the right vibe. You know, like live gigs used to be :) Couldn't have asked for a better way to spend the eve of my birthday.
- And on my virtual and physical record players it's been the year of Harry Styles and Taylor Swift. And I couldn't be happier about it. I need pop music now more than ever. Like the "normal thing" to have (:
- Also wanna mention Rosalía's "Motomami"
- Oh and LYR <3
- And Wet Leg
- And I would also mention Stromae
ART
- Home exhibition in January by Ulvi Haagensen. Full disclosure - I got to be the "museum lady" who welcomes the visitors. Such an awesome experience.
- Arno Rafael Minkkinen "Two Hundred Seasons" at Fotografiska Tallinn.
- ARS22 at Kiasma, Helsinki.
- Subterranean at Amos Rex, Helsinki.
- Biennale Arte. My first time at the biennale in Venice. Just the best. I am so much in love with Venice and the art and all that. Spritz. (Just writing this makes me wanna return to Venice asap!)
- Anselm Kiefer at Doge's Palace. Kiefer has never been my first choice and seeing old palaces is enjoyable, but not as thrilling as it used to be. So this was an unlikely match to blow my socks off and that's precisely what it did! The art and the space came together so perfectly... that I don't know how to put it in words. Glorious.
- The Uffizi. Okay, so it was waaaaay to packed with tourist. But weirdly enough I did enjoy the old weird religious art (it's never been my jam, tbf). Is it old age, the pandemic, war, am I changing?! Har-har.
- Hannu Palosuo "You Live With Me" at Didrichsen Museum, Helsinki. I fell in love head over heels! <3
- Sun & Sea in Helsinki.
- Hans Op de Beeck "The Quiet Parade" at Amos Rex.
- Sylvia Plachy "When Will It Be Tomorrow" at Radvila Palace Museum of Art, Vilnius.
- Berlinische Galerie - a place that had just the right balance. Currently my fave in Berlin.
- Thomas Houseago "WE" with Nick Cave & Brad Pitt at Sara Hildén Art Museum, Tampere. The perfect cherry on top to my year of art (it really was a year of art, wasn't it).
CINEMA
VARIA
- La Luz cocktail bar in Sliema, Malta. If I ever had a home bar this could be it.
- Kinnie - the most amazing soft drink ever. Can you tell my first real holiday trip since 2019 was to Malta?! I got excited about it all.
- HeadRead Literary Festival. Not least because it lead me to some great detective stories by Philipe Gwynne Jones. Oh, Venice!
- Tree of Codes at Tanssin talo, Helsinki. Dance. Jamie xx. Love-love-love! Just such a Kaisa thing.
- Instax Square SQ1. I just adore the square shape and the option to have black&white prints. Close favourite being the colour prints with black frame. I have alwyas had a mixed relationship with instant cameras, but this might be just the right format for me (cheaper than Polaroid film; and bigger than Instax mini).
- Moomin Museum in Tampere is probably one of my all time faves. Visited it for the third time this year and it's always a treat.
All the flapping aside (see the introduction above) 2022 was the year of art (and Venice).
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