Strange and Curious Things: Art, Alice, and Assorted Weirdness

Oct 17, 2016

Art, Alice, and Assorted Weirdness

I was in Helsinki this weekend for the Alice in Wonderland ballet and had some time to kill, so I ended up at Kiasma, the Helsinki museum of contemporary art. Kiasma is a great place to seek writing inspiration, because there's alway something weird going on.

Untitled by Juul Kraijer

On to the weirdness. Look closer at the curls on the lady's head. Yup, that's right. They're ears.

Emerging Thoughts by Anna Estarriola

Yes, and this thing was beyond creepy. It's a giant knitted cap with a hole in it. Inside, you see all these wigs, like the backs of people's heads, and when you lean in, they start to whisper. *shudder*

They also had an exhibit by Mona Hatoum that had hanging barbed wire and empty cages they use at fur farms, and a person-sized cheese grater. Really unnerving. Didn't really like that one, but I got a feeling I wasn't supposed to. Not that kind of exhibition.

The Finnish National Museum's on the way to the Opera house, so I stopped in to check out the exhibition of Renaissance art they have running until January 15th 2017. Quite small, but beautiful pieces. I like portraits, because it's fun to imagine what the person they're depicting was like. (And you can use them for character building, if you're a writerly type.)

The Gentleman in Pink by Giovan Battista Moroni

Isotta Brembati by Giovan Battista Moroni

Count Martinengo by Moretto.

Then it was time for the ballet. The sets and costumes were beautifully done as always, but the show felt a bit meh. The beginning was quite slow, and there were long intervals without music. That miming thing the dancers do looks ridiculous without sound. You could hear the thumps of their footsteps on the set. Awkward. I did like the tea party scene and the Red Queen and the playing cards, and the bit where Alice went to wonderland was well done. You can watch it through Opera Live on Saturday the 29th of October, if so inclined.

I did enjoy these themed macaroons, though.

After the show I headed for the Linnanmäki amusement park, which is just a fifteen minute walk away. They're doing a carnival of lights before closing for winter. I rode the ferris wheel and ate cotton candy that had a glow stick inside. It was like eating a storm cloud. The park is still open until Saturday the 22nd, when the festival ends with a firework display.