Architectural Acts of Care, Helsinki

The Architectural Acts of Care series launched its first performance in Helsinki during spring 2024. This introductory act explored the lasting nature of architecture, how it's sustained, and how we can redefine its boundaries beyond the traditional "finished product." Vapaa Collective challenged the concept of architecture as a disposable object through a series of everyday care acts like cleaning, maintenance, and repair – tasks often overlooked.

These acts weren't just performances; they were a way to examine the emotional connection caregivers have with their actions and the meaning it holds for them. Vapaa Collective argues that care shouldn't be an abstract concept but a personal relationship between the caregiver and the act itself. The performance raises questions about impersonal ownership and the myth of "maintenance-free" buildings. It challenges the notion of buildings as static objects and reframes maintenance as more than a nuisance – it's a life-sustaining force. Traditionally associated with femininity and stagnation, care and caregivers have been pushed to the margins, treated as unseen necessities.

"The Architectural Acts of Care" aimed to shift that perspective. By performing these acts with a noticeable gentleness and precision, Vapaa Collective transformed passersby into an audience. Suddenly confronted with the act of care, viewers were challenged to consider the often-invisible processes that sustain the built environment around them.

The performance took place in the Heikintori Mall, designed by Aarne Ervi in 1968. The mall is located within the preserved urban area of Tapiola Garden City, many aspects of which are threatened by the ongoing intense densification. This adds another layer of meaning to the foregrounded acts of care and preservation.