Following the success of Pecha Cucha and this autumn’s newcomer Interesting Helsinki, the field of design talks in Helsinki has seen the landing of even two newcomers this week. Here, we will skip TEDxHelsinki and focus on a much smaller, yet very sympathetic event that many might not have heard of: the Pekka Jukka.
The Pekka Jukka evening, held in Laituri last Wednesday, followed the scheme of Pecha Cucha, but presented talks by everyday heros instead of the leading talents and celebrities of the moment. Pekka Jukka was part of the master’s thesis of TaiK student Katharina Schmidt. She had asked people of Helsinki to make photographic records of their daily life, and invited a group of them to present in Pekka Jukka. The chosen people were of different ages and backgrounds, but all active in contributing to their living environments in their own way.
The most memorable of all was an elderly lady from Kallio, who works as a “godmother” of Karhupuisto Park. Since 1997, the godparents of Karhupuisto have contributed greatly to the park becoming a peaceful living room of this rather infamous area. These volunteer workers take care of the park all year long, planting and watering flowers, and meeting there almost every day. Despite some unpleasant surprises that sometimes occur in these neighbourhoods, the pleasure of collectively growing a colourful public garden is remarkable.
