Travel inspiration, riveting Sibelius and playful bear cubs

“How real estate can do good for the arts?“ Eurocities poses the question and highlights Helsinki's Kaapeli as one answer. It's a wholly council-owned real estate company that has secured the city 100,000 m² of affordable space for creative uses. 

US streaming service Topic has nabbed the US and Canadian rights to the Finnish TV series Helsinki Syndrome, Variety reveals. In the eight-part series, a desperate family man Elias Karo (Peter Franzén) takes four journalists hostage and attempts to get them to reveal the wrongdoing wreaked upon his family during the 90's recession. 

Two Finnish bear photos have been shortlisted for the 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. Photographer Valtteri Mulkahainen was able to capture a playful bear cub sniffing flowers and peaking behind a tree. According to Yle, this is the second time Mulkahainen has made the competition final. A public vote will choose the winner  

Fabric Magazine visited the East Coast of Finland and found welcoming towns and “outstandingly beautiful forests and fjords“. While the region is popular among Finnish tourists, it is still relatively unknown to international visitors. 

West Australian Symphony Orchestra's performance of Sibelius' second symphony gets almost the perfect score from Limelight. The orchestra's “absolutely riveting“ Sibelius, “terrific“ Wagner and “evocative world premiere“ by Elena Kats-Chernin were led by Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen. 

Helsinki-based indie pop artist Knife Girl has released her second album, Uniform. Beyond The Stage magazine describes the album as “a perfect balm to the often genre-defying concepts that Knife Girl has forged with her career thus far“. 

Here is one for cycling enthusiasts. Linda B. Mullally made a weeklong ferry-hopping bicycle trip in Finland's archipelago and wrote about her experiences in Monterey Herald. The area is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and while the trip included a fair share of challenging conditions, it also offers forested islands, picturesque coves and cosy hotel stays. 

Pekka Kuusisto and Vilde Frang's recording gets a five-star review in The Guardian. The recording of Beethoven and Stravinsky's violin concertos is Kuusisto's first as a conductor. He leads violinist Frang and Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen with a level of attention to detail that is “hugely rewarding“. 

Bio-(flora) foam nominated for German EcoDesign Award. The foam, developed by Aalto University student Irene Purasachit, is made of flower waste, is biodegradable and contains no oil-based ingredients or microplastics. 

Suunto has released its new 9 Peak Pro Smartwatch. An updated version of the 2021's 9 Peak, the new watch introduces up to 300 hours of GPS tracking on one charge and a faster processor for improved performance. According to BikeRumor, Suunto has also offset the carbon footprint of the watch's materials, manufacturing and recharging.