Public access
Open
Tickets
Venue
Suomen Taidepankki, Oulu, FINLAND
Date & Time
17 – 19 November, 2023
Circe is Joyce’s dreaming episode of the unconscious with frequent interruptions by hallucinations experienced by the main characters. The city of Oulu is located in northern Finland, where light conditions change considerably with the change of seasons. With nightless nights in the summertime and a lack of sunlight in the winter months, there are obvious challenges with mental well-being in this northern Finnish town. It is vitally important to help people cope in different ways, especially during the dark months. Light festivals and other cultural interventions are proven tools to increase resilience and stimulate discussion. The Ulysses episode takes place in Nighttown. As does the Oulu Lumo Light Festival.
Nighttown
Enter into a night dreamworld with an immersive performance taking its inspiration from James Joyce’s Ulysses chapter 15: Circe.
The artwork combined light and video art with performative elements including contemporary dance and circus. The audience was invited into the depths of the show to dive into the multi-sensory world of the subconscious, hallucinations and decadence, depending on their individual courage.
The performance was located in the former Finnish National Bank building, which has been hidden from the public in the cityscape for decades. The bank’s vaults and halls were the stage where dance, circus, music, bent light, photography and other visual arts came together to create an unforgettable performance. The viewer traversed an ever-changing, intense piece in which Joyce’s stream-of-consciousness odyssey became flesh.
Nighttown was directed by the award winning dance artist Pirjo Yli-Maunula and co-created with the whole team of 15 artists from Flow Productions.
Additional financial support was awarded by Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Nighttown Video Trailer
Lumo Light Festival Oulu – Lumo-valofestivaali
Ulysses European Odyssey
Suomen Kulttuurirahasto
Event Photos
Photos @ Janne-Pekka Manninen
Audience Feedback
”Thanks for the surprisingly arresting Nighttown performance. As a literature student, I knew the themes of James Joyce’s world, but the intensive performances by the performers in small spaces in the middle of the audience gave the visions a very carnal presence.
I saw the work in two rounds, although at first I shuddered at the performances that looked like they were tough. I was curious to see the strict professionalism of the performers in conveying the spectrum of humanity without using words, only physically. They didn’t shy away tough topics, difficult interactions, desires or carnality in its various forms.
In the second round, I dared to stay and follow the show in a space – even all alone – and it was most impressive. The shows were wild, even nightmarish, but still the humanity remained as the main experience. Without forgetting the humour, a silver potato tray was also found, which is appreciated by those who have read Joyce. Thanks to the artists, this left a mark.”
“Nighttown was definitely the highlight of this year’s Lumo. It was just sad that 30 minutes was too short a time for the work. I would gladly pay to be able to work on this for even a couple of hours.”
“Nighttown was a wonderful and strange experience. I want more!”
Rehearsal Images
Photos @ Janne-Pekka Manninen
