.. Thx for
Sightseeing. In this performance the audience will be taken for a bus sightseeing tour around Helsinki. In this performance the “stage” is outside of the bus and the “performance” is in the inside. In this performance reality and the performative material will blend in the consciousness of the spectator.
The art of perception. Performance art uses many different levels of communication. Normally the artistic or the symbolic levels are stressed. The art of perception underlines the sensory communication, what does the spectator experience with his or her senses or as his or her immediate impressions. The art of perception concentrates in fine tuning the spectator’s way of perception and focus of observation. The aim is to alternate the spectator’s consciousness and the way of perception for a short while during the performance – or permanently for the rest of one’s life.
We were lucky enough to get tickets to this truly phenomenal performance by Reality Research Centre. I’ve been working with the marketing of several professional theatres for more than a decade now, but this piece is really something else. It has completely renewed my faith in this particular field of art.
To cut a long story short, the Helsinki By Night has a superb dramaturgy, several very pleasant participatory aspects and a deep and meaningful message conveyed in many innovative and unique ways. There was a multitude of different “mini-shows” happening on the street during the sight seeing tour and it was all totally immersive and fascinating. Real life events blended with the staged components just perfectly.. the MC Cannonball birthday party, the burnt Storage houses next Kiasma, the passers-by in Tattarisuo industrial area and the Tax Office building… the show kept on surprising the viewers time and time again. Underlining the contrast to some of the main stream entertainment, I still had the highly predictable plot of Mission Impossible III fresh on my memory. It’s not a fair match to compary live theatre and a movie, but I’ll do it anyway. On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this a 10- and give M:i:III a 3 or 4.
Helsinki by Night is sold out already, but here’s another modern and cleverly produced piece that I can highly recommend: Helsingin Taivaan Alla by Ryhmäteatteri.
Posted by api in Ambient environment, Audiovisual instinct