Meet Lapinlahti people: Paula Talvikki
Today, when you visit the main building in Lapinlahti, you can see that some corridors are less empty than before, and are decorated with works of art. The reason for this is the art curation group that started its activities last autumn, which, in addition to curating, transforms the hospital corridors into spaces suitable for art exhibitions. One of the group members is Paula Talvikki, who works in Lapinlahti as an exhibition and event planner. In addition, she is a tenant of Lapinlahti and a visual artist, and her works were shown in the recently concluded exhibition of the Twin Peaks art collective. In April, Paula’s own exhibition will also open in the Corridor Gallery, handling recovery from an eating disorder as part of her expert by experience training.
The first time Paula came to Lapinlahti was summer 2019, when she participated on a wellbeing course by City nature centre. She didn’t know a place like Lapinlahti existed in Helsinki, and remembers that the atmosphere and beauty of the place had a big impact. Lapinlahti quickly became her favourite place, and Paula became a regular visitor. On the wellbeing course she made a flower mandala as one exercise, and Paula says she was surprised to see a photo of it in Facebook last summer when the same course was organised again. Paula felt then that a kind of circle had closed—she had shifted from a visitor to an employee.
The most significant things in Lapinlahti for Paula are the sense of community, the tolerant and open atmosphere, and the place’s unique beautiful setting in the middle of the city. Paula feels that the work community is also unique and inspiring. “It is particularly significant that Lapinlahti actively supports people in mental health rehabilitation in its activities,” Paula says. Particularly empowering for her in her work trial was that her abilities were trusted and she was able to use her strengths independently. This has enabled her to return to working life as an employee of Lapinlahti, whose job description combines the things that are important to Paula: mental health and art.
One of her first tasks in the work trial was organising the Taiteilijatapaamisten sunnuntai -event (Meeting the artists Sunday) last August. The goal of the event was to connect the audience with the artists of different exhibitions in Lapinlahti. Paula also participated in the curating of the Twin Peaks exhibition, and hopes that the new art team is able to organise similar exhibition experiences combining different art forms in the future as well. It is also important that Lapinlahti’s values of diversity and equality would be reflected in the exhibitions.
At the end of the interview, Paula hopes Lapinlahti would grow into a well-known art centre and that Lapinlahti would remain and continue to develop in the future as preserver of mental well-being and art. We also hope for that! Thank you for the interview, Paula.