The Cultural Center

Poseidon's square in Handen earlier today. A few Christmas stars in the big window informing us about the upcoming season. This is the cultural center, or kulturhuset, as we like to call it. The library is popular with students, who will spend hours there reading and researching. There is live music every now and then. And theatre. And other events. I have seen quite a few bands here over the years. Pop, northern soul, rock, reggae, both inside and outside on the big square. This is also the place where they showed my photos of the old tree on one of the thursday evening gatherings called Soppa&Surr a few years ago now.

Kulturhuset

There are a lot of Corona19 restrictions at the Cultural Center in Handen these days. There's a limit as to how many people can visit the library at the same time, you used to be able to sit and work here but not any longer. All concerts canceled as well as pretty much everything so you might as well stay at home.

Perfection is a Moving Target

By Ilja Karilampi. The trick is to stand in front of the artwork and take a selfie with the flash activated, something I obviously didn't do. Art exhibition at Haninge Kulturhus.

Lidl Outfit

Made by Vida Lavén, poet and artist born 1991. The current art exhibition at Haninge Kulturhus. I have to confess to never do any shopping at that particular discount chain.

An AcQuire (d) taste

AcQuire performing at the cultural centre, (Haninge kulturhus). I had coffee with a few of the guys that usually sits around complaining about whatever at Malmens kondirori as the choir sang a Coldplay song from the stage next to the cafeteria. Totally sure that the complainers didn't pick up on that. Because on this occasion they complained about the singing, before leaving and walking past the outdoor stage where another concert was under way, and while walking past me one of the guys told me that the music from that stage was horrible. It was not, it was in fact the highlight of the day so photos from that performance by Linda Pira and her dancers to come later.

Requiem for Peace?

The long black arm was suddenly there in front of the cultural centre in Handen. Then a few hours later when I passed by there again, it was gone. A mystery that needs to be solved.

Entrance

I'm sure you could get a few culturals to praise this work of art at the cultural centre in Handen. They would talk about it's importance in this day and age, and how they liked the way the glass, stone and the wood interacted. And how the sound inside really surprised them. And then they would all use their smartphones to document this very significant work of art. At least until one of the workers walked in and continued the work of the replacing the revolving door that has been the entrance to the centre for the last 15 years.

Site no. 16

This Summer's art exhibition at Haninge Kulturhus in Handen is called Site no. 16. The artist is Gustaf Nordenskiöld. In the show room you can see a lot of sculptures hanging from the roof. His namesake Gustaf E. A. Nordenskiöld was an explorer who worked at a site at Mesa Verde in the US, back in the 1800s. The objects here refer to real or fictive cultures. They look like real tools but the artist have changed their functionality. The objects from the dig in the US back in 1891 can today be found at a museum in Helsinki, Finland. gustafsweden.com/

The Book Stacking Problem

This is not the original book stacking problem, but it is still a good one. This is the book stacking that you can see in the library at the cultural centre in Handen. Locally known as Boktornet, or The Book Tower, it will surprise most visitors to the library. It was created quite a few years ago now by the scenographer Annika Thore. And if you are curious about how it was made don't ask Annika because she prefers to keep that to herself!

Free Cake Anyone?

The cultural centre in Handen celebrated ten years earlier this week. When I popped in for a visit, a group of people working at the centre were making their way towards the library where they presented a couple of surprised visitors with free cake and a a number of Christmas carols.

The Curators

The experimental art project at the cultural centre in Handen closed on Saturday.The final installation was the opening of a new mobile art centre, named Konsthall 323. The artists and curators are Frida Krohn and Ylva Trapp. Their showroom is a Mazda 323 from 1983. After the official opening ceremony, where the artists cut the blue tape, there was refreshments and a lot of photography. And then the first four visitors (plus a baby),entered the mobile art centre for the five minute experience. I was in the second group and sat in the back-seat where I listened to a taped conversation between the two artists, as they made their way to the cultural centre discussing the road ahead and commenting on what they saw during those five minutes. It was a different art experience, filled with humour. In the next few months the mobile showroom will travel across the country, but no one knows where it will turn up next. But to keep track on what might happen in the future you check out the projects website.

The Hanging Gardens of Haninge

Following up on yesterdays post, here is a look at the very short-lived artwork that was The Hanging Gardens of Haninge. You had to be there to see it, as it is gone now. Luckily for you I was there with my camera. It took the performance group Zirkus Loko-Motiv a little over an hour to create the weird construction. Passers by were asked to participate by handing over any object they could live with out in return for a diploma. I had read about the happening in the paper so I had one such object with me. During the happening I walked around snapping left and right while chatting with the performers. And I was interviewed and photographed by a journalist from the Cultural Centre those photo will appear online next week. On the second photo you can see the cradle and acrobalance artist Katarina Rosen. She's not a member of the group, but got in contact with them when they bought her old camper which is now a mobile work shop, you can see it on the third photo. Katarina actually lives in a camper at the Circus village in Alby (remember the circus people from a while back), together with 14 artists from seven different countries. She's currently looking to set up the camper at another location and I suggested Trollsta in Sorunda where another theatre group is based. The third and next wonder will take place next month in Skärholmen. When all seven wonders have been created there will be a big happening in Stockholm where all seven wonders will be represented. To see all the photos from this event check out the slideshow.

At the Cultural Centre

There was a lot of different activities to see hear and try during Haninge Day on Saturday. Here are a few snaps from inside the Cultural Centre . On the top photo you can see local girl Johanna Martell, a young and talented opera singer preparing for her performance at the cafe. The pianist is Jacob Moscowic. More about Johanna on her web site. Or have a look at her blog.
Second photo shows a sculpture by Natalie Sutinen. It can be seen in the art room and Sutinen's exhibition opened on Saturday. The artwork has no name. It is made of wax, paper, books and feathers. Sutinen often works with wax dolls, and says that she wants to visualise death with her art. And I do think that really shows here.
On the third and last photo you can see the band Loud 'n' Proud playing some loud music in the theatre room. Surprisingly the audience were mostly pensioners, at least that was the case when I shot this. More photos from this fun day to come.