7.12.2024 | Vantaa
Shadow Club (Varjo Klubi) #6 – Safety (Turvallisuus)
What does safety mean, and can darkness be a place of refuge?
The sixth Shadow Club examined safety as an experience, an environment and a profession.
The starting point for the event was a survey carried out by Shadow Room in Helsinki and Oslo, in which around 300 people reflected on the essence of darkness. The answers revealed a surprising and recurring connection between darkness and a feeling of safety.
“I am shy, so I look for the darkest place.”
A response to Shadow Room's survey on the essence of darkness
Three perspectives
During the evening, safety was approached from three different perspectives.
1
Performing art – safety and its limits
The joint premiere of the black metal band Hetthten and Impossible Body Art challenged the audience to reflect on the limits of performance art, physicality and the safety of the spectator.
The discussion after the performance examined the power of art, catharsis and the boundary between reality and the world presented on stage. Can a performance shock and provoke safely? What kind of agreement does a performance create between performer and spectator?
2
Safety as a profession – operating in exceptional circumstances
Security expert Tero Ruokonen brought experiences from crisis zones and exceptional circumstances into the discussion. He has worked for almost 20 years in the special forces of the Finnish Defence Forces and for five years in the private security sector.
The discussion explored how the feeling of safety can be strengthened through small acts, how to protect yourself and others, and how to build a shared picture of the situation in the midst of uncertainty.
3
Safety as an experience – war, music and darkness
Olha, who came to Finland from Ukraine, spoke about her personal experiences in the midst of war and about the role of heavy music and darkness in survival.
“Metal music helped me stay strong when Mad Max became reality around me and missiles began to cut across the sky.”
From Finland, Olha takes part in collecting and donating IT equipment to support the defence of Ukraine. Her experience brought to the discussion a perspective in which darkness is not a threat but concrete protection.
Art, expert knowledge, personal experiences and open audience discussion formed an evening in which safety appeared at once as a personal, social and artistic question.
