Immerse yourself in colour during the summer

Colourscape makes its Nordic debut in Turku

Colourscape, a labyrinth of one hundred colourful spheres, will make its Nordic debut in Turku in late July. Organised as part of Turku’s European Capital of Culture programme, the gigantic installation in Kupittaa Park will provide a full colour-saturated experience complemented with workshops and concerts.

Colourscape is an experience for the entire family. When you are inside, you can explore the spheres and listen to music performances, for example. The labyrinth chambers bend light into strong colours, and the shifting atmospheres appeal to various states of mind in the audiences. For example, red can invoke a sense of danger, while green may be experienced as soothing or irritating.

Colourscape will also be used to host workshops combining colours and music and colour baths for children. The workshops will be led by Colourscape artists, and they will take place in Finnish, Swedish and English.

The Colourscape chambers provide unique acoustics for music. Over the three-week period that Colourscape is in Turku, several small-scale concerts will be organised. Concerts are set to include performances by Finnish and international musicians. Rare treats will be provided by, for example, an alpine horn quintet from England, Tibetan singing bowls, Asian percussion performances and overtone singing.

Colourscape is brought to Finland by Eye Music Trust (UK), which specialises in creating various audiovisual experiences and presenting music and art in novel and fascinating ways. The group works in close cooperation with the Turku 2011 Foundation and the British Council. A team of six Turku youth will maintain Colourscape and guide visitors. The team will receive its training in England.

Colourscape will be opened and concluded with the Music of the Spheres performance on the River Aura, where giant spheres floating on the river engulf the performers. The evening performance during July will feature a huge, transparent sphere floating in the water, carrying a flautist who plays a wonderful concerto along the river. During the Night of the Arts in August, there will be not one, but two spheres. With live audio sampling and mixing, the flautist's music will become a full orchestra of flutes, sending waves of sound to the river banks. The magical nocturnal performance will be further intensified by an acrobat performing in the second sphere.

Colourscape in Kupittaa Park
23 July–14 August
weather conditions permitting (closed during heavy wind)

Music of the Spheres performances
22 July at 6 pm and 18 August at 10 pm
River Aura, area between Aura Bridge and Turku Cathedral Bridge


Additional information:

Simon Desorgher
Festival Director
Eye Music Trust
simondesorgher@googlemail.com
tel. +44 790 597 4922


Marika Lamberg
Project Coordinator
Turku 2011 Foundation
marika.lamberg@turku2011.fi
tel. +358 44 907 5708

Images of the Capital of Culture: www.turku2011.fi/en/materials_en

www.turku2011.fi/colourscape

www.eyemusic.org.uk