Hub Feenix
A lot of things are happening around this place that’s called Hub Feenix, a non-profit organization promoting and facilitating initiatives on creativity and well-being, only 1h driving away from Helsinki, located close to a beautiful lake.
When you arrive at the place, the feenix really rises on the wall from a former sanatorium, a place to heal and to recover from severe illness.
Nowadays it is being transformed in a place to create, to learn and regenerate as they put it themselves.The buildings that are on the property arel huge and spread all over the area, some 15.000 square meters!!
Let us peek into some of these events.
Yesterday there was a very inspiring workshop for children at the age of 6-14 years old.
Two of the co-workers, also being inhabitants of Hub Feenix, organized all the materials, the area and of course the publicity for this gathering. The theme they had chosen was ‘jungle’ and photos of a jungle-area were covering the wall when all the children entered the room. Some of them were accompanied by their parents and are living in a small town nearby called Karis or Karjaa. Others came by guidance of their caretakers, for whom a big and colorful house is reserved at the Hub Fennix place so the children have over there their temporary home.
Having my studio only a few rooms away from this workshop space, I could hear the laughter and joy that came from the children’s voices. Curious as I am ……. A big piece of cotton was laying on tables and all the children were having fun by painting with small and big brushes on the fabric. And as it is in real life, kids started to connect with each other, with the two teachers and especially with the materials ……. Beautiful colors were used, big palm trees were swaying in the jungle, panters, lions, snakes were crawling around next to golden highlights of the sun.
After two hours the painting was finished and the only thing they had to add were some animals made out of ceramics, only ….. they had to make these themselves …. ànd they did: snakes, dragons, wales etc. etc. All were meant to house in the jungle.
Now every new build piece of ceramic is still drying the same as the fabric piece (2 m x 2m). And afterwards a place has to be found so the new jungle can hang on a wall in Hub Feenix.
The Wonder of Life festival took also place during last weekend. A three days event of togetherness, joy, laughter and creativity. With concerts, dancing together, treatments, painting and wonderful vegan food at the restaurant or artisan pizza outside from an original build – i.e. in the Italian way – stone pizza-oven.
In spite of the fact that I did not participate myself but was working in my studio-space I just sensed the nice and friendly atmosphere over the 70 people, the 20 volunteers and the airesidents. The building of the Feenix was filled up with life ….
I want to achieve as much fun and joy in my work and touch others ……..
