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Aalto University partners with Flow Festival to showcase student work and highlight the importance of art and creativity as a means of cultural renewal.  

Says the University’s Manager of Marketing and Brand, David Lewis, 'Flow is a beautiful example of how art and culture can help elevate and define a city. This is not just bands on a stage, this is a fully designed experience from the music to the environment, the food, the art and the community coming together.'

Flow Festival has become synonymous with highlighting the best and brightest in art and music. This year’s performers include Lauren Hill, Fleet Foxes and local hip-hop hero Paperi T. Beyond the music, Flow offers a variety of art and design projects and an incredible array of pop-up food trucks and restaurants.

Art and creative opportunities to participate

The collaboration with Aalto will be visible to the festival audience across the grounds and throughout each day with over 35 students contributing. Various installations include a 100-meter mural by Visual Communication Design students while animations will be showcased on the big screen all day – both are built around the theme of memorable “Snapshots” or festival moments.

Visitors to the festival can enjoy the Architecture programme’s Aika-lava, a massive wooden hall. The base of the stage is made up of 50 laminated veneer lumber frames with 100 legs symbolising Finland’s era of independence.

Students from the Product & Spatial Design programme will transform the area to bring visitors in-between hyper sensorial experiences. It will be a place to relax, play games, and recharge. The space will flow, literally and figuratively, using repeated fabric segments that reflect Aika-lava’s graceful composition.

Aalto’s Game Design and New Media courses will provide plenty of activities too, meet and cuddle funny robotic pets, team up with another player to defeat a horde of colourful lights in a retro arcade-game. Make connections with your mind and body to save the environment and collectively light up the whole Aika-lava building.

An on-site movie theatre will screen films by students from the Department of Film, Television and Scenography. In addition, Art Education students along with the newly founded Aalto Junior will provide engaging activities for the Sunday family event.

Lewis adds, 'We truly believe that art and creativity brings tremendous energy. Our campus shimmers with it. When we think about Finland and its vibrant summers, Flow is the perfect culmination of that idea.'

The festival takes place 10–12 August in Suvilahti, Helsinki.

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