Arts Centre Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium

The Finns are coming!
Wed 12 until Sat 15 Dec

CHECK OUT THE ETOILES POLAIRES 07 PHOTO AND VIDEO REPORT
... AND RELEASE YOUR INNER DEER …

• Etoiles Polaires 07: Discover Finland
1. The Finns: silent and melancholy?
2. The alternative Finnish music scene: the music programme at Etoiles Polaires 07
3. Listen to the Finnish music at Etoiles Polaires 07
4. Finnish media art in Vooruit
5. Finnish black comedy: Leningrad Cowboys films
6. Finnish meals in the Café

• Winners of a Finnish evening at Vooruit!
• Winners of a Finnish evening at home!

• Look back at Etoiles Polaires 04

(c) Dries Deman & Peter Lagast

Etoiles Polaires 07: Discover Finland

For the second time now, Vooruit and Etoiles Polaires vzw will bring a taste of the North to Ghent. At the first edition in 2004 musicians from Iceland, Greenland and other Nordic regions came to Vooruit. This year we’ll be focussing on that other northern star; Finland.
We’ve selected the finest musical gems, the most interesting media artists and the tastiest Finnish food and drink in the Café. As a warming-up to the festival, there’ll be a Scandinavian-themed Uitgelezen on Tue 27 Nov.

The Finns are coming, so keep your eyes peeled!

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The Finns: silent and melancholy?

Any travel guide will tell you that Finland is “the land of a thousand lakes” or a “dark and largely frozen country”. The Finns are known as a silent and melancholy crowd. Although this is correct, they’re anything but dull.

Did you know for example that the World Air Guitar Championships and the Wife Carrying World Championships take place in Finland every year? That they consume the most milk of any country in the world (apart from being avid beer drinkers)? That they are tango aficionados? That they’d rather celebrate their name day than their birthday?

And most important of all: did you know that Finland has a thriving alternative music scene and a critical and experimental arts movement?

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The alternative Finnish music scene: the music programme at Etoiles Polaires 07

Etoiles Polaires 07 will welcome the best in Finnish alternative music for four days. It’s their ultimately Finnish identity which makes their music so unique, which ranges from the obscure underground, post-rock, improvisation, electronic music to neofolk.

You can discover the musicians at these dates:

• Wed 12 Dec
  Kimmo Pohjonen & Marita Liulia – Animator
• Thu 13 Dec
  Kusti Vuorinen / Jimi Tenor meets Flat Earth Society & Maippi Ketola
• Thu 13 Dec
  Cleaning Women
• Fri 14 Dec
  Pekko Käppi / Uumen (Kimmo Pohjonen & Eric Echampard) / Kuusumun Profeetta
• Fri 14 Dec
  Shogun Kunitoki
• Sar 15 Dec
  Magyar Posse / Circle / Pan Sonic & Arne Deforce / Aavikko & Samuli Alapuranen + Polarparty

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Listen!

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Finnish media arts in Vooruit

Apart from music, we’ll also be serving you Finnish media arts. Guest curator Juha Huuskonen, the founder of Pixelache (an international festival for electronic art and subcultures which has it roots in Finland), invited five Finnish media artists.
Three of these will provide visuals at certain concerts: Marita Liula joins Kimmo Pohjonen for Animator, Mappi Ketola will accompany Jimi Tenor feat. Flat Earth Society and Samuli Alapuranen will do the same for Aavikko.
The Pixelache screening, which is part of the video and installation trail running through the building’s halls and passageways, features work by Terike Haapoja and Juha Valkeapää among smaller video art pieces. The non-stop Placard headphonefestival in the Café will bring artists from all across the globe together.

So apart from Finnish music and interesting collaborations between Belgian and Finnish artists, you’ll also be able to enjoy audiovisual creations , a FrictiesSalon with Juha Huuskonen and an exciting video and installation trail.

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Finnish black humour: Leningrad Cowboys films

Finns aren’t the rowdiest folk, but don’t mistake this to mean that they don’t have a sense of humour. As a matter of fact, the Finns love black comedy, just think of the Leningrad Cowboys, who sing about vodka, tractors, rockets, etc. Aki Kaurismäki, the director of The Man Without A Past, made a hilarious triptych about the band. To get into the Finnish spirit we’ll be showing the films in the Café on Sun 9 Dec.

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Finnish meals in the Café

In Helsinki, the Leningrad Cowboys have a restaurant called Zetor which combines an interesting décor and a hilarious menu, making for a unique experience. At Etoiles Polaires, Vooruit will offer some of Zetor’s dishes and drinks. You’ll be able to enjoy a reindeer roll, a shot of vodka or a glass of berry wine.

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WIN A FINNISH EVENING AT VOORUIT!

Following people have won a Finnish evening in Voruit with a ticket for two, a Finnish meal and a bottle of Finnish wodka:

• Wed 12th Dec: Karen Spiessens, Hans De Four en Nina De Paepe
• Thu 13th Dec: Annelies De Meulenaere, Kay Doms en Patrick Molenberghs
• Fri 14th Dec: Lies Metsu, Lukas Vanacker en Erwin Paulissen
• Sat 15th Dec: Pieter-Jan Decoen, Colombie Ann en Katri Silvonen

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WINNERS OF A FINNISH EVENING AT HOME!

On Wed 5 and Thu 6 Dec Vooruit (& Studio Brussel radio) bring you in the mood for Etoiles Polaires 07: we’ll decorate your living room or dorm in Finnish style with the ‘deer package’, we’ll also bring along plenty of vodka and a Leningrad Cowboys movie. Invite your friends to enjoy an evening of Finnish fun!

The programme:
1. Your living room or dorm will be decorated in true Finnish style with kitsch reindeer and tapestries.
2. Warming up with Finnish vodka and music.
3. Projection of Leningrad Cowboys movie on a big screen.
4. More vodka!
5.…

Vooruit visitors Koen Van Doorslaer and Juul De Roover are the lucky winners. Here are their jokes:

“A Finn and a deer are standing in a bar drinking vodka. Says the one to the other…”
”...- aaaah wodka…da doet deugd aan mijn hertje!” (Koen) (word game with hart=heart and hert=deer)
”... Hi deer (/dear).” Upon which the deer answers: “Ho hunter.” (Juul)

(Deer package by www.vroemvroem.com)

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In 2004…

In 2004, Vooruit opened its halls to artists from Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, Nunavik, Siberia and Samiland. According to Flemish newspaper De Morgen, Etoiles Polaires 04 was “a surprise hit” with “outstanding” concerts. You can view the Etoiles Polaires 04 programme or visit the website that was created especially for the occasion.

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Etoiles Polaires is a co-production of Etoiles Polaires vzw and Vooruit, with the support of the Flemish government, LUSES, ESEK, and was made possible with the help of the FIMIC, The Finnish Cultural Institute, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Department for Communication and Culture and the Embassy of Finland in Brussels.