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SaunaLab: Sauna Through the Eyes of Artists

The sauna is a very traditional, important part of life for Finns. There are right and wrong ways to build and take a sauna, certain rules apply. A lot of those rules go out the window this summer in Turku with something called SaunaLab.

TPS:n pelaajat saunovat
TPS:n pelaajat saunovat läpinäkyvässä taidesaunassa. Image: YLE / Jussi Kallioinen

SaunaLab consists of four very unusual saunas, designed and built by artists as part of Turku’s European Capital of Culture events this summer.

The idea, organisers say, is to present the traditional Finnish sauna in new, creative ways.

Those who want can sign up for to sweat and scrub in the transparent Solaris Sauna right next to the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum. Or they might choose to try the tarred, wooden Hotcube, which is located in the Aura River.

Jan-Erik Andersson and Shawn Decker's onion-shaped 'The Sounding Dome' sauna is located next to the Kupittaa municipal swimming pool. Meanwhile those with access to a boat can navigate towards Saaroniemi on the island of Ruissalo, where they will find Heidi Lunabbas’ installation, named Sauna Obscura.

SaunaLab opened this week and remains open through the end of August.

Sources: YLE