Huimaa! Sirkuksen taikaa ja tarinoita

Huimaa! Circus Magic and Stories is a wide-ranging exhibition about Finnish circus and its history. The circus enchants, entertains and captivates its audience with clowns' mishaps, the courage of circus artists, the glitter of sequins and the scent of popcorn, magic and virtuosity, but it is also much more! The circus is an art form in which the impossible becomes real and the audience feels the pulse under their skin. Acrobatics, magic and humour speak without words, and the clowns remind us of our humanity. The story of Finnish circus began in the 1800s, when international troupes started to visit Finland. It holds within it legendary personalities, international adventures, the joy of circus enthusiasts, absurd storytelling – and thousands of hours of sweaty practice. From the 1990s onward, new kinds of ideas developed alongside traditional circus: influences were drawn from contemporary dance, popular culture, music and visual arts. In the 2000s, contemporary circus groups and artists have successfully taken their performances to stages around the world and made Finland an internationally respected contemporary circus country. Finnish circus history figures with their stories, traditional circus and contemporary circus travel side by side through the exhibition.