Music Hall

Töölönlahti Bay Art Garden
Outdoor project for Helsinki, Cultural City of Europe 2000

Helsinki as one of Europe’s Cultural Cities in 2000 held a large outdoor exhibition with the area behind the Finlandia building as a venue. In light of recent debates on the need for a new music hall in Helsinki the artist decided to help find a resolution to the matter. An airplane stairway from Finnair was borrowed so that guests could enjoy looking over the lake in the middle of the city as if flying just above the waves. To help the guests get airborne, Tapani Rinne composed music that was played from surrounding trees. At the opening a small operatic choir sang medieval music from rowing boats on the lake, thus becoming first to perform at Helsinki’s new music hall.

(image with sound 250K)

(image with sound 297K)