For the first time, Reflektor will step outside Helsinki and bring a four-day satellite event to Sotkamo. For four evenings, light, video and sound will be on offer on Hiukanharj and on the beach.
– The place is remote, very exotic. Yes, culture must be exported to all parts of the country.
Palmu sits in the shelter of a van for a long evening, programming and occasionally going out in the rain to check that his light work Vapaa is suitable for Sotkamo.
– The work is very much the same as when I originally made it a couple of years ago. Of course, the message changes with time. There are four different works in all. I think it’s a good mix, there’s enough variety along the way.
Sotkamo already wants more
– A year ago, we sat down with the Reflektori team and found a common note right away.
Karvonen emphasizes that it is not a one-time gig, but that there is a continuation in the consideration.
– Sotkamo wants light as its home base, we want the event to be an annual part of Sotkamo’s cultural offering.
Now there are four works on display. The works transform the environment of Hiukka’s sandy slopes into a dreamlike experience.
Much bigger next year
– I already have a permanent light work in Hiukka, now I added one whole part to it specifically for this event. Time will tell if Valssi Hiukanharju will remain part of a permanent work.
While programming his work late into the evening, Laukkanen is already thinking about the years to come.
– Now there are four works, this is in a way a taster for people from Sotka and Kainu. Next year there could be ten works or even more. The area can also be wider.