ANTON CORBIJN - Retrospective 21.5.-31.8.2008

Since the 1970s, Anton Corbijn’s (1955, the Netherlands) photographs have shaped our image of many musicians and other artists. The ANTON CORBIJN - Retrospective (Tennis Palace Art Museum) presents Corbijn’s four key series of photographs from 1976 to 2002. In addition to photography, Anton Corbijn is known for his music videos and his award-winning film Control (2007).

Anton Corbijn began photographing at rock concerts and for music magazines in the 1970s. Since then he has broadened his range of subjects to other artists, including actors, film directors, painters and writers. Over the years, the documentary approach of his early photography has changed to more conceptual ones: first to well- considered portraits, then to staged paparazzi pictures. The most recent series seen in the exhibition consists of self-portraits.

Identity and roles are at the core of Anton Corbijn’s work. As U2’s Bono put it, “Anton doesn’t photograph who you are, he photographs who you might be.”

Open: Tue-Sun 11 a.m. – 8.30 p.m, Mon closed.
Address: Tennis Palace Art Museum, Salomonkatu 15 (near the Bus Station), 00100 Helsinki.

Young eyes of photo journalism: 30.5.-24.8.2008

The New Generation of Finnish photojournalism is here!

For the first time ever the new wave photojournalists are collected into one big exhibition at the Finnish museum of photography. It includes over 200 images from 44 photographers, and it tells a whole lot of stories from our time. The themes these great photographers work with varies from death sentence to birth, from politicians to sewers. Also the approach to the matter varies and personal touch can be seen in the different styles they represent.

Villa Urpo: luxurious villa on sale

Are you seeking a new holiday house? Now it's your chance.

Urpo Lahtinen was a Finnish magazine publisher who invested his huge profits to arts (Chagall, Picasso, etc.) and constructed his luxurious Villa Urpo.

Now Villa Urpo is on sale after the Foundation of the Urpo and Maija Lahtinen went to bankrupt. Attorneys at law Berglund Partners are now seeking the best offers. The value of Villa Urpo is being estimated around 4 million euros (source: Aamulehti).

SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD BRAND ARRIVING IN FINLAND

Royal Restaurants has signed an agreement with the Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand concerning the Hotel Haven that will be completed in early 2009 at the address Unioninkatu 17; the hotel will be their first hotel in Finland.

According to the annual Luxury Brand Status Index survey carried out by New York-based Luxury Institute, SLH was named as the world’s leading luxury hotel brand, surpassing such traditionally respected brand as, among others, Ritz-Carlton and Peninsula.

According to Royal Restaurants, SLH’s slogan "Caring Luxury" sums up what the Hotel Haven offers its guests. First class service is backed up by high-quality ancillary services. Additionally, conference services, three meeting rooms and an auditorium facilitate the arrangement of meetings for 120 persons in connection with the hotel.

Flow08 line up released

Flow Festival, organised as part of the Helsinki Festival in Helsinki's Suvilahti on 15-17 August, brings together a wide array of internationally acclaimed artists. In addition, the event now presents an area three times larger as that of previous year's.

During its four years of existence Flow Festival, organised by the Nuspirit Helsinki collective, has succesfully showcased top-notch music from jazz to soul, indie to electro, techno to boogie and electronic to organic.

All in all Flow Festival presents 62 acts on 4 different stages during three days.

More info about the artists and Flow08 at: www.flowfestival.com

Futuristic living; Sanjhih vs. Futuro

One of the most impressive Flickr photo set that I have seen in a while; An haunted abandon resort in Sanjhih (Taiwan) reminds me of the Futuro House, the futuristic plastic house designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen in 1968.

Sanjhih resort reminds me also of the Le Palais Bulles (France), another utopistic creation by Finnish architect Antti Lovag.

More info:
Wikipedia (Futuro)

Habbo: One of the World's most valuable Digital StartUps

Silicon Alley Insider (SAI 25) ranks and values some of the world's leading private digital companies (not all, but some). It has ranked Finnish Habbo the 9th most promising digital startup in World (valuation 1,25 billion USD). Habbo Hotel is known among youngsters worldwide.

The success has raised scam sites like Gabbo Hotel, Habbi Hotel. Sulake is taking serious actions against scam site owners.
But who is scamming who?

The Finnish Film archieve presents: Coen brothers movies 2.5.-15.8.

Have you seen the Oscar award winner (Best Motion Picture of the Year): No Country for Old Men?
It's directed by the Coen brothers. The Finnish Film archieve presents most of the Coen brothers movies during this summer: Blood Simple (Sundance Film Festival 1985: Grand Jury Prize), Miller's Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (Cannes film festival 1991: Best director & Golden Palm), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), The Big Lebowski (1998), The Man Who Wasn't There (Cannes film festival 2001: Best Director).


Screenings:

ARIZONA BABY (Raising Arizona) 6.5., 9.5.
BARTON FINK 20.5., 23.5.
BIG LEBOWSKI (The Big Lebowski) 10.6., 13.6.
BLOOD SIMPLE 2.5., 3.5.
FARGO 3.6., 6.6.
LADYKILLERS (The Ladykillers) 8.8.
MIES JOKA EI OLLUT SIELLÄ (The Man Who Wasn't There) 13.8., 15.8.
SIETÄMÄTÖNTÄ JULMUUTTA (Intolerable Cruelty) 5.8.
VAARALLISTA PELIÄ (Miller's Crossing) 14.5., 17.5.
VALTAPELI (The Hudsucker Proxy) 28.5., 31.5.
VOI VELJET, MISSÄ LIENET? (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) 18.6., 22.6.

Showroom Finland

Showroom Finland is a Helsinki based company marketing Scandinavian design products.

More:
http://www.showroomfinland.fi/

Address:
Pohjoisranta 2 E, Helsinki