Night of the Arts at the National Library

Event Introduction

The Night of the Arts, a perennial late-summer favourite, will be celebrated on 15 August. This year too, remember to mark down the National Library as a place to visit, as there will be plenty of excellent programme on offer by the National library’s Cultural partners. The evening includes singing and poetry performances, as well as two exhibitions and a literary art workshop.

The doors will open at 18.15, with slam poet Mikko Räty kicking off the evening’s performance art in the Cupola Hall. Räty is a poet and playwright living in Helsinki whose debut poetry collection Borealia (Tammi 2022) was nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and the Nihil Interit Poetry Prize. Emphasising play and experimentation in his work, the poet wishes to destabilise conventional ways of thinking and harmonise light-hearted with more serious topics. In his performances, Räty discusses topics such as humanity’s relationship with nature, biodiversity loss and power structures. On the Night of the Arts, Räty will give two performances in the Cupola Hall, the second starting at 20.00.

Fans of musical arts should arrive no later than 19.00 to see the etymological a cappella group Kärhämä. The group’s polyphonic songs have echoes of contemporary folk music. They describe the origins of Finnish words, with lyrics based on research knowledge in linguistic history and discussions with researchers. With the aim of transferring research knowledge to new generations, the group uses their skills and art to pay tribute to ancient oral poets.

Those interested in hands-on activities will have the opportunity to play with words in a literary art workshop headed by Satu Pasio and Sari Reiman, beginning at 18.45. The artist duo offers participants a moment for exploring the world and their own selves amid everything. The workshop’s participant places are limited, so book your place soon! (workshop will be held in Finnish)

The artistic output of Pasio and Reiman is also on display on the Rotunda floors in the form of an exhibition entitled Kertomuksia hiljaisista huoneista (‘Stories of silent rooms’). The exhibition originates in encounters and conversations in an abandoned building.

In addition, an exhibition entitled Dinner time! is open all evening in the National Library Gallery. The exhibition seeks answers to the following questions: What’s on our dinner plates these days? What used to be on them? What meals do we enjoy at home or at restaurants? Created collaboratively by the National Library and the Hotel and Restaurant Museum, the exhibition explores food culture by examining what cookery books issued at different times tell us about food and the people who cook, and reviewing the history of Finnish restaurant culture.

Programme:
Doors open at 18.15

Mikko Räty’s performance in the Cupola Hall at 18.20

Literary art workshop at 18.45 (in Finnish)

Kärhämä’s performance in the Cupola Hall at 19.00

Mikko Räty’s performance in the Cupola Hall at 20.00

Doors close at 20.30

The exhibitions in the Gallery and the Rotunda floors are open all evening.

Categories

Inside, Participate, Visual arts, Gallery / museum, Installation / exhibition, Music