Welcome to press conference on Tuesday May 31, 2011 at 12 o’clock

The Opening of the Art Saunas of Turku!

In the summery Turku, one can bathe in art saunas designed and built by artists. The four saunas, built to renew Finnish sauna culture and sauna experience, will be presented for the media in a press conference on May 31, 2011 at 12 o'clock. The press conference will be held at Ekoluoto Art Park, next to the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, Itäinen Rantakatu 38. The artists will be present to discuss their work and the representatives of FC TPS will inaugurate the transparent Solaris-sauna by bathing in it. The other art saunas will be visited during an arranged bus tour.

One can enjoy the unique possibility of bathing in artworks, located in various parts of Turku, in the SaunaLab project arranged by the Museum Centre of Turku. The saunas challenge the traditions of sauna-building, and offer new experiences to see, hear and scent.

Two art saunas will be built in the city centre, near the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum. In front of the museum, in the Aura River, Harri Markkula’s Hot Cube will be built. The bather walks across a small bridge into the minimalistic, windowless building and in the middle of the scent of wood and tar.

Solaris-sauna is a transparent sauna designed by sculptor Hans-Christian Berg and industrial designer Mika Ihanus. The sauna allows the surrounding events and weather to become a part of the bathing experience.

One can experience the archipelagial summer landscape of Ruissalo on one’s skin in the Sauna Obscura by Heidi Lunabba. Floating on a raft in the sea, the Sauna Obscura functions like a box camera, allowing the surrounding landscape to reflect on the interior of the sauna.

The Sounding Dome Sauna, designed by artist Jan-Erik Andersson, resembles a bright yellow giant garlic. The soundscape in the sauna – designed by the American sound artist Shawn Decker – reacts to the temperature and humidity in the sauna. One ladleful of water thrown on the sauna stove can make the garlic sing! The sauna is located at Kupittaa Outdoor Swimming Arena in the historical city park of Kupittaa.

The saunas are open from June 1 to August 31, 2011. Solaris-sauna and Hot Cube are open from Tuesday to Sunday between 12:00 and 18:00; Sauna Obscura is open every day from 13:00 to 18:00, and The Sounding Dome Sauna is open every day from 10:00 to 19:00. Both communal and private shifts are for sale. Private sauna shifts can be bought from Lippupiste (www.lippu.fi). The tickets for the communal shifts are for sale at the museum ticket offices of the Museum Centre of Turku. One shift is 50 minutes long and consecutive shifts can be bought.

Besides the art saunas, other exhibitions and events relating to sauna culture, bathing and water are part of the SaunaLab project.

SaunaLab is a part of the Turku 2011 – European Capital of Culture programme.

Press photos: www.turku2011.fi/materials

Additional information:

Päivi Kiiski
Art director of the City of Turku
050 371 0258
paivi.kiiski@turku.fi

Tarja Eskelinen
Project coordinator
040 707 9880
tarja.eskelinen@turku.fi

Sunniva Solstrand-Jalamo
Publicist
050 514 1880
sunniva.solstrand-jalamo@turku.fi

www.saunalab.fi
saunalab@turku.fi
SaunaLab is also on Facebook!

The partners of SaunaLab include Turku Touring, Sports Services Centre of Turku, Turku Municipal Property Corporation, Turku University of Applied Sciences, the City Library of Turku, Olohuone ry, Narvi Oy, Cederroth Oy, Farmos Oy, Tukkuliike E.Raninen Ky/Terplus, A-Laituri Oy, Insinööritoimisto Seppo Rantala Oy and Rauplan Oy.