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Weekend Wrap

Birch takes centre stage, new music pulls strings and remote working moves to the forest

Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding performed a world premiere in Helsinki.

Jacob Blikenstaff

Birch is having a renaissance in dentistry and cosmetics, sustainable Finnish yarn is on show in New York, and a master watchmaker shares his story. Click on any photo and take a look at recent creativity from Finland.

The cosmetics industry likes to take its cues from nature. Finnish startup Innomost has gone a step further and created bioactive compounds from upcycled birch bark. They can be used as sustainable alternatives to palm, fossil and food-origin ingredients in personal care products. (Photo: Innomost) Read CosmeticsDesign-Europe’s article

There is still a chance to check out Helsinki Design Week. The largest design festival in the Nordics features roughly 250 events across various venues in the city centre and online. This year’s theme, What is Wise to Design Now?, invites everyone to consider the smartest design methodologies. (Photo: Anni Korkman/ Luovi) Check the programme at Helsinki Design Week

The Nordic noir boom shows no sign of ending. European network Arte and German public broadcaster NDR have boarded Helsinki Syndrome, a thriller series set in a post-pandemic society. The show interweaves contemporary issues with the 1990s financial crisis and headlines Vikings star Peter Franzén. (Photo: Fisher King/Kimmo Korhonen) Variety has the story

Meet the “Lionel Messi” of watchmaking. During a thirty-year career, Kari Voutilainen has restored some of the world’s rarest watches, as well as created unique mechanisms and original pieces. (Photo: Voutilainen) More in SWI’s interview

The Rasmus are back. The band have released a new track called Venomous Moon featuring another Finnish household name, Apocalyptica. Rock Sound describes the track as “a spine-tingling slice of atmospheric pop-rock that swirls around you with ghostly melody and decadent theatre”. (Photo: The Rasmus/ Facebook)

Spinnova took to the stage at New York Fashion Week. London-based design duo Ka Wa Key used the Finnish startup’s fabrics and yarns, which are made of wood or waste without harmful chemicals, in its new capsule collection. (Photo: Jarno Leppänen) Check Spinnova’s website for more

It’s the ideal office for a nature lover. The City of Lahti has set up remote working stations all over its nature sites, from parks to wilderness. The free-to-use wooden stations boast phone holders and laptop areas. Just ensure your devices are fully charged because there is no power. (Photo: Green Lahti) Read more at Green Lahti

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra kicked off its autumn season with a world premiere. Felipe Lara’s brand-new double concerto for flutes, double bass and voice opened to an excited audience. The special concert guest-starred flautist Claire Chase and jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. (Photo: Maarit Kytöharju) Watch the concert here

The Moomins have arrived in Washington DC. Famed for their messages of equality, inclusion and respect for nature, the iconic characters created by Tove Jansson are the subject of a visiting exhibition at the National Children’s Museum. (Photo: © Filmkompaniet) Read AWN’s article

Birch has also made its way into dentistry with surprising results. Researchers at VTT have combined birch cellulose and genetically engineered proteins to create a lighter and tougher alternative to ceramic dental implant crowns. (Photo: VTT) Checkout Good News from Finland’s story for more

By: Eeva Haaramo
17.09.2021