Celestial Navigators

Multidisciplinary performance exploring the fragility of human decision-making through music, movement and film.

Duration 55 minutes.
Premiere in March 2026 at Toinen Kerros, Helsinki.

The piece is a co-creation by composer Tytti Arola, singer Annika Fuhrmann and horn player Elena Kakaliagou. Inspired by the instinctive navigation of migratory birds, the piece reflects on hesitation, choice, and direction on both a personal and societal level. Through the interplay of voice, French horn, and film, three artists approach the theme with both poetry and humour. Video material filmed in a rural Finnish landscape, featuring cranes and geese in flight formations, emphasizes the contrast between the certainty of nature and human uncertainty.

The project has been supported by Kone Foundation, Kordelin Foundation, TAIKE, Kulttuurikomppania Eloa and HIAP – Helsinki international artists programme

“The piece ultimately unfolds as a network of associations around navigation, operating simultaneously on visual and auditory levels and creating unexpected connections. […]

The work’s focus on uncertainty and lack of direction stands in striking contrast to the sense of control on stage. The performers’ effortless virtuosity — shaped by years of practice — alongside the focused, meticulous work required by the piece, for instance in its use of live electronics, makes it clear that each member of the ensemble has a precise understanding of both the work and their role within it.”

Sakari Ylivuori, Finnish Music Quarterly (3/2026)

© Roman Odjinud