Our main discipline and the core of Recover Laboratory is a multisensory and immersive art labyrinth. It is an interdisciplinary production, born in the steamy crossroads of contemporary art and contemporary circus. The site-specific labyrinth is always created in interesting and unconventional spaces, always as a new individual production. Our philosophy is, that the space is the first performer and the artwork is always built around it. We have created labyrinths in an old factory, an air raid shelter, ancient stone tunnels and waste water treatment plants.
The labyrinth is designed to draw the participant's thoughts into the deep unknown, turning the focus to oneself. It is a personal experience where everyone can submerge themselves in their own desired way, and decide how far they want to take the experience. As one makes their way through the surreal labyrinth, they encounter performers, interactive artworks, live installations and other scenes with music, dance, performance art and much more.
Have a look at the previous labyrinths here.
Helsinki FIN / Under the ground in an air raid shelter
26.9.-19.12.2018
Underneath was created in a public shelter in Meilahti, in collaboration with the Rescue Department of Helsinki. The space, mined into bedrock, is used a shelter in case of an emergency for the people living in the area. Recover Laboratory transformed the shelter into a surreal parallel universe in the winter of 2018.
1200 people experienced Underneath during the three month performance period.
Read more here.
Kummelholmen, Stockholm SWE & Suomenlinna, Helsinki FIN
2017
Spleen (french) is the melancholy of a modern (privileged) human; a collective and simultaneously excruciatingly private feeling. It is a form of boredom, sorrow, detachment, helplessness and insignificance; parallel to an ongoing, permanent, personal catastrophe. It is grey and deep blue, almost black but never quite.
And in the center, there is stillness.
Recover Laboratory's Joy of Spleen was an immersive multi-artistic live-installation, a ritual-like performance performed in Stockholm Fringe in Sweden and Viaporin Kekri in Finland. In Stockholm the immersive experience was built into Kummelholmen, an old heating factory, and in Helsinki the artwork flowed through the ancient tunnels of Suomenlinna fortress island.
Read more at Kulttuurikuuri blog (in Finnish), and at SVT (in Swedish) or at Circus Info (in Finnish) .
In Stockholm Fringe the show was nominated for the Grand Prix out of 100 performances from 32 countries. The wild and ambitious attitude of the crew resulted in the group being awarded for their Festival Spirit.
Direction | Sofi Häkkinen, Miradonna Sirkka |
Production & experience design | Inna Huttunen |
Written by | Sofi Häkkinen & Riku Nieminen |
Performing | Hedda Liukkala, Iida-Liina Linnea, Aleksi Kinnunen, Samuli Kivelä, Miradonna Sirkka, Anna Kankila, Riku Nieminen |
Set Crew & Technical Execution | Sofi Häkkinen, Anna Pesonen, Inna Huttunen, Mia Rantavaara |
Video Design | Sofi Häkkinen, Anna Björklund |
Light Design | Sofi Häkkinen, Inna Huttunen, Mika Jokela |
Sound Design | Samuli Kivelä, Aleksi Kinnunen, Mika Jokela, Jaakko Törmänen |
Costume Design | Hanna Herva |
Thank you | Paula Lappalainen / Suomenlinnan hoitokunta, Violeta Salonen, Nhi Cao, Mella Pesonen, Ella Sinisalo, Henna, Elvia Sultana, Satu Anonen, Marika Zinchenko, Maria Salonen, Anna Suonsyrjä, Aarne Saarinen, Rapa Ripa, Jonne Harja, Eva Korhonen, Sirkuksen tiedotuskeskus, Agnes Kaszas, Pasi Warsell, Ropsi, Jaakko Törmänen, Bright Finland, K-rauta, Ville Hakulinen, Mika Jokela, Suomen Puolustusvoimat, Åbo Svenska Teatern, Cirko - Uuden sirkuksen keskus, Sirkusinfo, Finlands Institutet, Serot, Materialshop, Viking Line, InsideOut Escape Games, Mattolaituri, Anni Metsälehto, Iinu Torniainen, Annemari Kiviniemi, Onni Boi, Maiju Saarimaa, Riku Nieminen, Jenny ja Jimi, Anna Björklund, Heidi Hellsten, Thelma, Jukka Häkkinen, STOFF2017, Kummelholmen: Jan Watteus & Thorbjörn Johansson, Orion Theatre, Kungliga Konsthögskolan. |
Helsinki, Viikinmäki Waste Water Treatment Plant (FIN)
Summer 2016
We created a 2 km long journey under the ground in the huge caves under a waster water treatment plant in Viikinmäki in Helsinki. The art-labyrinth was a holistic multidisciplinary performance, that still carried the name Recover Laboratory back then. After this performance we formed the Recover Laboratory organization, taking the original name of the labyrinth for our multi-artistic company.
Recover Laboratory in Viikinmäki was a continuum for Recover Laboratory in Turku, the previous year. Themes of breaking the fourth wall, connecting with the audience, creating an immersive environment and giving the audience the responsibility for their own experience were in the core of this production.
Read more about the labyrinth in Viikinmäki at Helsingin Uutiset (in Finnish), City.fi (in Finnish), or at Lights & Music blog (in Finnish).
Direction | Miradonna Sirkka |
Artistic Direction | Sofi Häkkinen |
Production | Sofi Häkkinen, Miradonna Sirkka |
Performing | Anna Valpuri Kankila, Hedda Liukkala, Miradonna Sirkka, Ilkka Virkkunen, Pauliina Toivio, Maiju Saarimaa & Miikka Kauppinen, Heidi Miikki & Jenny Mansikkasalo, Alina Pajula, Inna Huttunen, Sofi Häkkinen, Ramona Reinvall, Annemari Kiviniemi, Sonja Silvander, Myrsky Rönkä |
Set Crew & Technical Execution | Sofi Häkkinen, Anna Pesonen, Inna Huttunen, Mia Rantavaara |
Video Design | Sofi Häkkinen, Anna Björklund, Annamari Nousiainen |
Sound Design | Samuli Kivelä, Aleksi Kinnunen, Mika Jokela, Jaakko Törmänen, Otto Mikkonen, Sofi Häkkinen |
Light Design | Alina Pajula |
Costume Design | Hanna Herva |
In collaboration with | Helsingin seudun ympäristöpalvelut - kuntayhtymä HSY |
Thank you | Suomen kulttuurirahasto, Taike, Åbo Svenska Teatern, Teatterikorkeakoulu, Sonic Pump Studios, 24Rent.fi, Woods Helsinki, Sirkus Unioni, Woltti sirkus, Anni Metsälehto, Inna Huttunen, Annemari Kiviniemi, Mia Rantavaara, Outi Heikkinen, Anna Pesonen, Sara Vertanen, Sara Mörö, Iida-Liina Linnea, Mika Alatalo, Lauri Vanhatalo, Jarkko Laaksonen, Mika Jokela |
Turku, Waste Water Treatment Plant of Kakolanmäki (FIN)
This was the second edition of Recover Laboratory - an experiential contemporary circus and art performance. It was held in May 2015 in the water treatment plant of the city Turku in Finland. The series of performances took place in an underground cave complex of the water treatment plant beneath the river Aura. Ten separate shows were organised, and each evening of the performance was sold out.
Direction | Miradonna Sirkka |
Artistic Direction | Sofi Häkkinen |
Production | Emilia Hiltunen |
Performing | Pauliina Toivio, Ramona Reinvall, Ilkka Virkkunen, Myrsky Rönkä, Heidi Miikki, Lida Kuusisto |
Video Design | Sofi Häkkinen, Anna Björklund |
Sound Design | Otto Mikkonen |
Light Engineering | Visa Niemelä |
In collaboration with | Kakolanmäki Waste Water Treatment Plant, Turku |
Thank you | Åbo Svenska Teatern, Turun ammattikorkeakoulu, Stadin ammattiopisto,Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu, staff at Kakolanmäki |
Köysiteatteri, Turku (FIN)
The first ever Recover Laboratory art labyrinth, where the idea was born and the journey started.
Direction, script, production, artistic design | Miradonna Sirkka |
Performing | Pauliina Toivio, Nina Ervasti, Myrsky Rönkä, Maiju Saarimaa, Ilkka Virkkunen, Nea Kolehmainen |
Sound Design | Otto Mikkonen |
Set construction | Pinja Junninen |
Thank you | Lauri Tuhkanen, Hedda Liukkala, Ville Saarikoski, Emilia Hiltunen |