Less than three weeks after my arrival, I have written and edited the first chapters of a first draft of the novel. I expect this form to be the definitive one. What was to be a sombre story has become a showcase of life and light. A fine adventure of the spirit. This is the way Hub Feenix has spoken to me. Vividly and profoundly.
Random notes I had taken in the previous months started to come together and make sense at Hub Feenix. But finding a voice and proper technique for the novel was necessary. It would emerge from this place and its unique story and setting.
Our February artist in residence, Korean children book writer Hyun-Jeong Jeon, wanted to come to Finland because she was inspired by the works of the Finnish symbolist painter Hugo Simberg. She wanted to experience the dark time of the year in Finland. When she arrived, all the snow had melted, and we had an atmospheric wintertime painted with dark, gentle, subtle tones. And then, at about halfway through her residency, we got tons of beautiful, white snow - a completely different kind of winter!
Our February artist in residence, Korean children book writer Hyun-Jeong Jeon, visiting Finnish illustrator and children book writer Sanna Pelliccioni at her studio in Helsinki. What a wonderful and inspiring afternoon!
What an interesting and inspiring adventure we had on a January Sunday afternoon at Hub Feenix! Our artist in residence Anja Fiedler prepared a Michelin-class menu from peat, lichen, birch, sap and other surprising delicacies from Finnish forest.
Hub Feenix January 2023 artists in residence, Anja Fiedler from Berlin and Elena Botts from New York, created an inspiring and innovative art event Culinary Poetry together.
The audience had the opportunity to taste unique Michelin-level delicacies created from the treasures of the Finnish forest, for example lichen, peat and birch, and experience an experimental live multimedia performance by unknownsoundcollective.
Unforgettable and beautiful experience for all the senses!
The earth’s slowest telegram,
a telegram
that never arrives:
everywhere it is already there
(Hans Magnus Enzenberger, poem lichen knowledge)
Anja Fiedler is a concept artist specialiced in Food Art. She calls her work “art in action” or “social sculptures” – inspired by Joseph Beuys, who wanted his art to encourage people to actively shape their society. (Stadtmachtsatt.de)
Here´s an article in our local newspaper Etelä-Uusimaa about the multidisciplinary art event "Culinary Poetry" organized by Anja Fiedler and Elena Botts at Hub Feenix in January 2023. In the picture Anja is admiring the lichens in the magic winter forest near Hub Feenix.
Elena Botts, a multimedia artist from New York, was inspired by the January light in the snowy forest trails around Hub Feenix. She was especially interested in the blue light of the winter dimlight - the blue hour. On her walks she gathered material for her beautiful, experimental video and sound art.
Elena Botts is a multimedia artist from New York and our January artist in residence.
unknown sound collective (https://sites.google.com/view/elenabotts/work)
