Flow Festival 2009 Helsinki

Art Review

Flow Festival 2009 is fucking amazing. Never been in Flow before and I'm surprised of the quality. Finally an event organised in Helsinki has the similar quality as a whole as what I used to in London. 3 days + 1 special concert by Kraftwerk. Full of art, design, good food, and great soul and electro music! and its just 5min from my apartment! Best ones, Nitin Sawhney and Fever Ray coming tonight
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Risto Siilasmaa Keynote in Helsinki

Feature

Risto Siilasmaa, the founder and former CEO of F-Secure (among other tricks of trade), kicked off Slush Helsinki last week with his keynote addressing the current economic situation. Mr. Siilasmaa is one of the most famous Finnish entrepreneurs of all time, having IPO’d F-Secure and now directing such companies as Fruugo, Nokia and others as a board member. Few very good points.

Keynote Video

By ArcticStartup

Helsinki - Home Sweet Home

Thoughts

[caption id="attachment_394" align="alignleft" width="128" caption="refurbishing"][/caption]Last couple of weeks been intense. London trips, intense business development meetings, refurnishing my new flat and getting all together for moving. Some of my sensible assumptions been wrong, still I am getting a good story out of all this mess. Out of what mess someone might ask? The problem is, that once again I seem to be on a run. Where are man's roots?

"Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange
And why I'll never know
But I'd rather go on hearing your lies
Than go on living without you"

Elvis Presley

So in this situation those words of Elvis can be thought to mean for falling in love with a girl, or falling in love with a place. Beside falling in love with girls, I always want to fall in love with a city. To see if I can grow my roots there. Helsinki was the town I fell in love with for the first time, second London, third New York. However, the real love seemed to be in my hometown of Lappeenranta. Still, once again I feel the need to be on a run away from the memories hitting hard. Man never learns?

"You look like an angel,
Walk like an angel
Talk like an angel
But I got wise
You're the devil in disguise
Oh yes you are"

Elvis Presley

Why a man has to run looking for something and when the world turns, suddenly be hungry again. One has to walk the streets again, learn to steal and suddenly the cold wind breaks again. When can a man stand tall and proud?

Helsinki, I beg you, do not betray me.

European Tour

Travel

Last couple of weeks been hectic. I have logged 12 flights, only 2 nights in London, airport lounges, countless parties, random people and lots of sunshine. All started with a Helsinki trip to plant the seeds of my net project on documenting urban lifestyles. Followed by Costa del Sol trip for a music video shoot in Malaga for Basshunter. The shoot had amazing catering and most importantly models in bikinis! HA!

Back to London to beautiful Ibiza shoot for Pioneer and after the sunny week of sunsets, to Gategrasher Summer Sound System festival for an all time favorite of mine, The Prodigy! They did let me down with a lame set and was dampened even more with rainy and windy weather. It was like Siberia after Spain. Overall I must admit it feels good to be able to sit down and breath for moment in London, before the road calls again. Let the photos talk more.

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Clubbers Guide to Helsinki

The trip to Helsinki resulted in an edit that looks like this. Thanks to Oded for amazing work.

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Returning to Helsinki

Thoughts

It was time to return to the land of fathers. This comes from the deluxe room at a design hotel Glo in the heart of Helsinki. The reason is work, filming two features for MoSTV. Feelings run deep and philosophically this is a well meaningful journey.

Just after one day, I'm seriously enjoying this city. Quality of life is so much better, but would have the same opportunities if living here? They say traveling is meaningless without a place to return. The question is am I traveling or simply rooting myselfto London?

More interestingly the skills, experiences and all the shit that has been poured over have changed me inside. Cliché but in this case very much applicable. How will Helsinki treat me during this trip might change course of this journey. Will it be better to have been away or will it just feel like utopia of days gone by? One thing is for sure, Helsinki has changed as well. I am the one to catch up.