The latest work by the Dutch environmental artist Thijs Biersteker, Gasp, will be presented this year at Flow’s esteemed art program. The piece will come to life in the Tiilikello x Polestar art space, opened at last year’s festival. Additionally, The Other Sound x Sun Effects venue will showcase a collection of contemporary light and video art, as well as dance. 

First introduced to the public during last year’s festival, the impressive Tiilikello x Polestar art space, located in Suvilahti’s brick gasometer, serves as the backdrop for the Dutch artist Thijs Biersteker’s latest work, Gasp. Gasp is a captivating installation that uses real-time data to visualise the presence of microparticles in the atmosphere. As a magnifying glass, it grows the particles, creating an impressive 4,000 times scale enlargement. The work features mesmerising drops of oil dripping into water, symbolising the particles floating in the air. The number of drips dynamically adjusts according to the current pollution levels detected by a sensor, illustrating the ever-changing nature of air pollution.

Thijs Biersteker creates art installations that provoke insight into the ecological challenges ahead. In his practice, he collaborates with the world’s top scientists and institutions to turn their climate data into art installations that make the overwhelming global issues accessible, understandable and relatable. Biersteker has exhibited in museums and galleries across the world and has been awarded the prestigious Lumen Prize for digital art, among others. To produce his works sustainably and circularly, he founded Woven Studio, where emission calculations and recyclability are integrated into a material passport attached to each artwork.

Furthermore, The Other Sound x Sun Effects venue will feature a contemporary light and video art exhibition curated by Sun Effects, a long-term collaborator of Flow Festival. The collection will consist of three artworks based on kinetics and moving images. Musta olemus (Black Essence) by Jere Suontausta and Antti Hevosmaa studies the connection and contrast of static and dynamic material. Välittäjä by Joakim Udd, on the other hand, is a semi-mechanical work that contemplates humans as a means of representing technology. Lastly, Ahdas (Tight) by Merle Karp aims to illustrate the experience of climate anxiety. Sun Effects is also responsible for the venue’s lighting design and will bring VJ artists Janne Ahola, VJ Oka, Merle Karp, and Mikko Kunnari to the event.

Dance enthusiasts will also get their fix at The Other Sound x Sun Effects with a performance by NYKY Ensemble and Liisa Pentti +Co titled Ref2022 on Flow Saturday. Based on Brian Eno’s composition ReflectionRef2022 is an upbeat dance piece that aims to shine a light during dark times. Music and dance create a landscape where the audience can allow themselves to float through timelessness and dreams, being occasionally reminded of a past that perhaps never was. Liisa Pentti +Co is a Helsinki-based dance group that values artistic integrity and uniqueness. Imagination, community, and awareness of the dialogue between art and societal relations are the starting points for their creative work. NYKY  Ensemble, established in 2009 at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, serves as a platform for contemporary music projects, offering perspectives on current directions and techniques in modern music.