This year, our capital will host the extremely popular Finnish Flow Festival for the first time, which will cross the borders of Helsinki for the first time in ten years. Tuomas Kallio, art director and head of the Slovenian edition of the festival, confided in us why he will bring freshness and difference to us, what musical and artistic delicacies and culinary sweets he will serve.
Why did you decide to hold the first edition of the Flow Festival outside your borders in Slovenia?
Slovenia seems almost the perfect destination for what we do - a music festival for all tastes. It is close to the Mediterranean Sea, accessible from all sides and still quite unexplored. You can easily take a city break in Ljubljana, visit the Venice Biennale at the Flow Festival, or even take a vacation by the sea nearby. Everything is in one place. Another important factor is that there are not so many events similar to ours in Slovenia, so we think it's good to bring something fresh, new or at least different from what already exists somewhere. Plus - we found a very attractive venue Tobačno, which reminds us of the festival location in Helsinki, where the festival takes place in a former power station from the 20th century.
What was the reason that, after ten years of the festival, you decided to hold another edition abroad?
In terms of content, Flow Festival has always had an international concept, which is otherwise not so typical for the Finnish scene. It was always clear to us that we could also do something elsewhere in the world. So now we are testing Slovenia. Let's see how it turns out.
Flow Festival is not just about music. It is also art, cuisine, design, even sport. What would you call the highlight of the festival and why?
One of the highlights on the artistic side will certainly be the new version of the Slovenian Venice Biennale, where Jaša Mrevlje Pollak will be presented with the installation UTTER. One of the best restaurants in Ljubljana will take care of food at the festival. For us, this is extremely important, as we can take a peek at the local culinary scene, which is truly excellent in Ljubljana. Among others, restaurants Skaručna, As, Romeo, Libanonske meze, Tokio Piknik and Bazilika will be guests at the Flow Festival. Lighting, video projections, furnishings and designer, handcrafted elements are also important to the festival's look and feel. We will also bring with us the typical printed fence for Flow Festival, which will give Tobačna the look of a real Flow Festival in a completely simple way. There will also be some surprises at the festival, such as a climbing wall.
What makes the festival different from others?
We are not as focused on the music as most music festivals and we do not see the festival as a series of concerts of certain musical artists, and the others are of secondary importance. For us, the festival must be an experience in its entirety. If you spend a lot of time at Flow Festival, I like to imagine that you want to enjoy good music performances, great DJ sets, you want to see unique stage setup/lighting/video projections and the like. But at the same time, you also want to eat well, treat yourself to a cold refreshment, see an exhibition, maybe something you haven't seen before, socialize in a pleasant environment where you can simply sit and chat, where you can dress as you want, with you but you don't need to bring rubber boots because of the muddy field.
What will be the most adrenaline-pumping thing at the festival?
I'm almost certain it will be a performance by American rappers Run The Jews, who are very hot right now. Their 2014 album was a top reviewer of 2014, and they're kind of "crazy" live. But it could also be Derrick May's DJ set, which can be very intense at times.
Did you have anyone else in mind who couldn't confirm their appearance?
Of course, you can never bring all the artists you want, but for Ljubljana we got a lot of the musicians we wanted. I think the line up is "super" good. It's condensed, but not too many things happening at the same time, which is a problem in Helsinki, where there are many stages and concerts at the same time, so you always miss something. At the same time, the program is genre-diverse and very high-quality - it will host performers that are difficult to bring to an event or festival these days.
Is there anything new in the Slovenian edition that is not (yet) in Helsinki?
There will be many local things that are quite different from those in Helsinki. Flow must outgrow local roots. As a novelty, I would point out the climbing wall, which we have never tried before and I am not expecting how it will perform.
Flow Festival brings both "old school" musicians and "hot" newcomers. How did you decide who will perform at the festival?
We usually decide on the music first. Much like an art festival, we bring a good mix of things to do. Unlike many other concert promoters who organize festivals, we don't want to make a festival just to sell as many tickets as possible while bringing in a completely different crowd of people who otherwise don't like to socialize. Flow tries to bring together a certain kind of Flow tribe that actually shares some core values and ideas, which is why people love Flow Festival. It's a wonderful feeling of home.
From June 26 to 28, Tobačna mesto, Ljubljana, www.flowfestival.si
