Recycling factory 3.-4.5.2008

This special recycling event includes a swap shop market, products made from recycled materials, information from environmental and recycling organisations, workshops, shows, exhibitions, and sales of organic and fair trade products.

Place: Cable factory, Helsinki
More: www.kierratystehdas.fi

Helsinki in Berlin: 50 Finnish artists coming to Berlin in April 2008!

Berlin has been the capital of something or other for 400 odd years now: from the Kingdom of Prussia to the German Empire. This spring, Berlin will also be the capital of Finnish music. "Helsinki in Berlin" is an unprecedented push to get quality Finnish music the kind of attention it deserves. Check out the dates and venues for 50 different acts: http://www.myspace.com/helsinkiinberlin

100% Finlande

100% Finlande, a cultural season presenting Finnish culture in France opened in the beginning of April. Similar cultural seasons, presenting different countries, have been organized in France for almost twenty years now. They are based on agreements made on governmental level. The 100 % Finlande season brings during three months altogether 250 Finnish events and 500 Finnish artists to France.

With 7 million euros budget the producers of the 100% Finlande have managed to create massive events around the France. Especially take a look at their official blog and 100% Finlande site:

http://www.100pour100finlande.fr/
http://www.100pour100finlande.fr/-Blog-.html

Sensor instruments: wave your hands

New group UNI formed.

The combination of acoustic instruments, analog keyboards, computer based digital electronics, synchronized visual elements and new sensor instruments makes this group a unique enterprise in the musical scene. All the members are experienced and praised long term professionals that have been involved in most of the existing music genres.

The music of UNI is influenced by many different types of styles. Jazz improvisations, world music flavors, contemporary experiments and electronic sound worlds put together form an exceptional mixture.

Hidden wine cellars of Helsinki

Wine consumption is growing fast in Finland. Nice wine cellars try to meet the higher demand. Here is a list of few good ones to try in Helsinki (most of the links are in Finnish only): G. W. Sundmans, Olo wine cabinet, La Bodega, Carelia, CWC, Sörnäisten viinikellari, Wine cellar of Ruttopuisto.

Anyway, if you prefer more traditional. Try Helsinki Vodka. Look at their slogan: "How Finns relax".
What?

Finnish electro scene: beat beat beat

Is it burning your ears or not?
Try and decide: Eero Johannes, KA SO RE, JESSE (album release party @ Korjaamo 12.4.08).

Excellent stuff.

Postres: Restaurant of the Year gained Michelin star

The best Finnish restaurant of the year 2008 is awarded to Postres. La Société des Gastronomes Finlandais (Suomen Gastronominen seura) awards annually the restaurant of the year. For some reason this has been correlating with the Michelin star nominations in past few years. No exception this year.

Postres gained it's first Michelin star this year. As did another newcomer Carma. Chez Dominique holds on to its two stars and Demo preserves the star it gained last year. G.W. Sundmans has lost its accolade, meaning that Helsinki (and Finland as a whole) now has four starred Michelin eateries.

The Sommelier Blog summarizes this nicely: "All the star restaurants in Helsinki are now small privately owned, it was not actually a big surprise to me that G.W. Sundmans lost their star. I think that this is good wake for Royal Ravintolat to sharpen up and really start thinking in new way and making their restaurants more different from each other.".

Unique residence built inside bedrock/earth

Live in the cave!!

Finnish company Seviso Ltd claims they have a global patent on a solution, which allows for construction in places that would have previously been impossible:
- unique, residence built inside bedrock/earth
- economical
- energy-efficient, savings in heating costs
- blends into the landscape, the building is adapted to its natural surroundings
- allows for unique solutions
- safe
- durable - no wear caused by weather and no major renovation work required in the future

Green cloud: ARTISTS LIGHT THE SKIES OF HELSINKI

Every night from the 22 to the 29 of February 2008, the vapour emissions of Salmisaari power plant in Helsinki will be illuminated to show the current levels of electricity consumption by local residents. A laser ray will trace the cloud during the night time and turn it into a city scale neon sign. Nuage Vert is a communal event for the area of Ruoholahti, which anticipates esoteric cults centred on energy and transforms an active power plant into a space for art, a living factory.

More info: www.vihreapilvi.org and Nuage Vert

Kasino A4 magazine

Kasino A4 is a magazine. And it is that in the true sense of the word, it does what every excellent magazine should do: fuses quality photography, insightful writing and strict graphic design into one inspiring package. Kasino A4 is distributed in 18 countries.