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Weekend Wrap

Robot deliveries, Cha Cha Cha remix and new Angry Birds series

DJ Alan Walker and Käärijä celebrated their Cha Cha Cha remix with an impromptu tram gig in Helsinki.

Matias Aakko

It has been a great few weeks for culture. The 2023 Helsinki Biennial art event opened to the public, and five Moomin books were chosen among the 100 greatest children’s books of all time. Furthermore, we cover new music, new game merchandise and even a worksite delivery robot. Take a detailed look at recent creativity from Finland below.

Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories are not only beloved, but also highly regarded by literature experts. This has been proven by the BBC’s listing of the 100 Greatest Children’s Books of All Time, which features five books by Jansson, starting with Moominland Midwinter at 28th. 

Olli Oilinki / Visit Finland

Two Finnish films have been chosen to compete at the Palm Springs International ShortFest film festival. Rabobesto – Or How I Saved a Monster and Polar Night Light will be screened at the US festival, which takes place on 20–26 June 2023. The first film will be seen in the live action fiction series and the latter in the documentary section, writes the Finnish Film Foundation.

Stilll from Rabobesto. Credit: www.marimantela.com

Hexvessel has announced new music is on the way. The Finnish psychedelic folk rockers will release their sixth album, Polar Veil, in September. The album sees the band “taking a colder, darker approach to their sound,” writes Loudersound.  

Hexvessel

Cha Cha Cha is back with a twist. This time, Käärijä’s Eurovision hit has got a remix in the hands of popular Norwegian DJ Alan Walker. The two artists worked on the version together and performed it in an impromptu tram concert in Helsinki, ESC Xtra reveals.

Vinny Holmberg

Art, sea and sustainability come together at the 2023 Helsinki Biennial. The international art event, titled New Directions May Emerge, “brings together 29 international artists and collectives to explore alternative ways of living in, and understanding, the world,” writes Artdaily. The event runs until 17 September across Vallisaari Island, HAM Helsinki Art Museum and other locations around Helsinki.

Coadapted by Alma Heikkilä, Credit: HAM/ Helsinki Biennial/ Kirsi Halkola

Clash of Clans characters will soon be seen in toys, clothes and other merchandise. The game’s creator, Supercell, has struck a partnership with WildBrain to develop the first-ever licensing programme for the World of Clash gaming franchise. Read more on MojoNation.

Supercell

Do you find driving stressful? Finnish company Neste might have a solution. It has created a set of curated playlists designed to have a calming impact on a driver’s heart rate. According to Little Black Book, Neste developed the playlists “after research found background music can impact driving speed, safety and climate-friendliness”.

Neste

Angry Birds is spreading its wings to Amazon Prime Video. The streaming giant has ordered a new animated series, Angry Birds Mystery Island, based on the hugely popular mobile game’s characters. The 24-episode first season will follow three new hatchlings and a foreign-exchange piglet as they mistakenly end up on an uncharted island. Variety has the details on the story.

Rovio

Robot-powered home deliveries are increasingly common, but what about worksite deliveries? A new pilot project is testing the use of talking, autonomous vehicles in delivering small loads of construction supplies to worksites in Helsinki. The scheme will end in July with similar trials planned in Italy, Spain and Greece, writes TLI magazine.
 

Forum Virium
By: Eeva Haaramo
16.06.2023