Orchestra rehearsal in Auditorium I; all photos by HHW.
In Auditorium I, the Academic Orchestra is rehearsing under Das Licht das Ich Suche – a photo series composed for this space by Erika Lojen.
The River, a piece by Finnish composer Selim Palmgren, searches its way through Sunday morning hours; begins, then halts to take another direction and unfold anew, over and over. As day turns towards afternoon, sun reaches in through large windows and the orchestra tunes their instruments for Claude Debussy’s La Mer.
Erika Lojen, Luise Kloos, Aurelia Meinhart and Ingeborg Pock unpacking and mounting their exhibition; all photos by HHW.
During the last week – accompanied by disquieting news from Libya, Bahrein, Yemen and Japan – the LICHTWECHSEL exhibition was built by Gruppe 77 members in the Åbo Akademi Business School. On Wednesday, the Nomadic University gathered for its twelfth session. Thursday was Opening Day, starting by professor Pierre Guillet de Monthoux lecturing over “Why Andy Warhol Was Right – How Art Schools Turned Into Business Schools”.
After the ceremonial opening and a tour around the Business School – in its turn transformed into an art gallery – the programme continued; among other things, the audience took part in a performance by artist Jan-Erik Andersson commenting on the Destruction of Beauty, embodied in a blue wooden house demolished by the City of Turku.
To round off, former Editor-in-Chief Arne Ruth brought recent headlines back into our minds – connecting the heritage of Enlightenment with ongoing struggle for freedom and equal rights.
Three students from the Business School, following a project course in art and marketing on LICHTWECHSEL, have set up their own blog mirroring the event.
Kenneth, having swept the front porch free from ice and sand, leaves his broom at the caretaker’s office and heads for coffee, too.
Messages on notice boards remind us about this and that; to wash hands, apply for grants, go dancing, travel abroad, have psychotherapy in group, stay home when sick.
Morning light is about to catch up with electricity. The Business School building begins to resound with footsteps, voices, doors opening and closing; movement, life. In Auditorium 1, renovation work is going on. Smell of fresh paint mingles with the warm scent of coffee. Outside, someone leaves the shovel in a heap of snow to take a break.
“Hanken” corridors and staircase at night; all photos HHW.
Early morning; the light of dawn cannot yet compete with effective fluorescent tubes. They keep the house awake all through the night, even in the absence of people.
Helena Hildur W. 
