Puhos Loves People
Puhos Loves People is a socially engaged project located at the Puhos shopping centre in the Itäkeskus area of Helsinki, Finland. The project consists of an annual community based cultural festival, an art space andvideo- and public art works.
Puhos shopping centre is a vibrant gathering place, offering a variety of services, including cafes, restaurants, shops, and a mosque (prayer room), which attracts people from diverse backgrounds. Despite it´s lively atmosphere, the center’s deteriorating overall condition and negative media coverage led to many prejudices being attached to the place. At the end of 2016 the center faced also a demolition threat, which was met with concerns about the potential loss of jobs and the negative impact on the mall’s communities.
To address these issues, I collaborated with local stakeholders to create a community-based cultural festival, Puhos Loves People, which production I facilitated from 2017 to 2021. Attracting between 1000 and 3000 visitors in different years, the festival promoted and gave visibility to the arts and cultural activities of the region’s communities. The event has since continued as an annual cultural festival for the area.
In 2019 I established a Puhos Loves People Art Space at the centre. The space complemented the festival´s cultural programme by providing art workshops for the mall’s users until onset of the 2020 Covid pandemic. In 2021–2022, I produced video works that documented the daily life, architecture, demonstrations, and festivals at the cenre from 2016 to the present. In 2022 I constructed large-sized Puhos Community Table in the courtyard of the centre to foster interaction between the mall´s users. Conceived through collaborative meetings, the idea of the table was to transform the unused courtyard into a meeting point, embodying a living sculpture that thrives on community engagement.
Work info
Puhos Community Table: JP Kaljonen, socially engaged project / installation (wood, film faced plywood, steel), height. 70 cm x length. 800 cm x depth. 800 cm, Finland 2022.
Puhos (video documentary) : JP Kaljonen (video), Filippo Bertolucci (music),Pablo Gil (grand piano), Smaranda Iftime (cello), Florian Veit (bowed vibraphone), Puhos, video documentary, 7:05 min / 16:9 / 4K, Finland 2021–2022.
Puhos – Mall in Transition (video documentary): JP Kaljonen, 9:12 min / 16:9 / 4K, Finland 2022.
Puhos Loves People Art Space: JP Kaljonen, socially engaged project, 2019-2020, Finland
Puhos Loves People 2021 festival: Organisations Bado, Funky Amigos, Meh, Prostt and artists JP Kaljonen (production facilitation) & Sari Hiltunen in cooperation with McMbay, Writers´ and Artists´ Association Kiila & Sivuvalo, Kontula Art School, The Finnish Musicians’ Union, Finnish Somalians´Coalition, Samha Association, Restaurant Kirkuk, Kurdish Diaspora Center, start up Refugee, United Youth Initiative Association, Malyun Daqare Production, documentarist Rasoul Khorram and artist Abida Jahan Shuma. Festival host: Wardi Ross & Habiba Ali. Sound Technician: Ville Saaristo. Festival area visualisation: artist Kristiina Tuura. Socially engaged project/festival, 2021, Finland.
Puhos Loves People 2019 festival: Organisations Bado, Funky Amigos and Meh and artists JP Kaljonen (production facilitation) & Sari Hiltunen in cooperation with McMbay, Tusovka organisation, KAS! Kontula Art School, Writers´ and Artists´ Association Kiila, Sivuvalo Platform organisation, A-ryhmä, Helsinki Youth Council, K-pop Suomi organisation, Finnish Multicultural Sports Federation / Show Rasism the Red Card-, Mamanet- and Kestävästi liikkeelle! projects, Pium Capoeira / Cordão de Ouro, Vallgård Martial Arts, Helsinki NMKY, Finnish Somali Network, Africa Care, Moniheli Katto proiject, Helsinki Deaconess Institute Unit service & Vamos project, Auroras & Let´s Read Together Networks, Mpmto organisation, Banadir Cafe, Q Express, Puhos pizzeria, Omar group, Finn Haj and umrah, Taleh Cafe, Reihaan Abdirahmaan, musician Joonas Lehtolan and Elyas Lemechele. Festival host: Jamila Mohamud & Ahmed Mahamed. Sound technician: Ville Saaristo. Festival visualisation: installation artist Kristiina Tikke Tuura & visual artist Abida Jahan. Festival Communications: Daria Tarkhova. Socially engaged project/festival, 2019, Finland.
Puhos Loves People 2018 festival: Badbaado Organisation and artists JP Kaljonen (production facilitation) & Sari Hiltunen in cooperation with Funky Amigos Organisation, McMbay, Muutoksii Organisation, Meh Organisation, Tusovka Organisation, A-ryhmä, Writers´ and Artists´ Association Kiila, Oranssi Organisation, Itäkeskus Library, musician Joonas Lehtola, musician Megbah Ahmed, Elyas Lemechele, Alanya Oriental Market, Kirkuk Cafe, Restaurant Arbailo, Sabir halal-Meat Shop and Tronk. Festival host: Saartu Gada. Festival communications: Daria Tarkhova & Asha Sheikh Musse. Sound Techinician: Ville Saaristo. Festival area visualisation: artist Kristiina Tuura. Logistics: Barre Ahmed (Anwar). Socially engaged project/festival, 2018, Finland.
Puhos Loves People 2017 festival: Badbaado organisation, artists JP Kaljonen & Sari Hiltunen and musician Joonas Lehtola. Socially engaged project/festival, 2017.