Real health centre and the measurability of art

“We pompously claim that this is the world’s first performance with actual health benefits,” says Sami Henrik Haapala describing his work Oikea Terveyskeskus (Real health centre), which is performed in a green urban setting. The project is founded on confrontation: “We are serious about the measurability of art but at the same time we radically question it,” Haapala says. ”Art enables us to adopt two opposing approaches at the same time. Art can deal with paradoxes and matters that are not known and continuously disprove its own claims,” he continues.

Oikea Terveyskeskus combines drama and game design in a green setting. The game design is used especially to engage the audience. The working group includes Finnish, Estonian and English artists and a scientist who specialises in the health benefits of the forest. “I believe that by combining art and research we can discover something new about both,” says Haapala. The artwork will be ready to be experienced in late summer 2016.

Contact information: Sami Henrik Haapala, i(at)samihenrik.me