What is Temporary?

Temporary is a place in Helsinki that opened in September 2016 and is running as a trial throughout 2017.

Temporary is a sandbox for practice-based research into experimental interactive formats.

Temporary is the first example of the Biathlon Cultural Toolkit in practice.

What happens at Temporary?

On the surface, Temporary resembles a typical ‘project space’, with regular activities and events. However, Temporary specifically discourages the types of activities that already have suitable venues in Helsinki. The focus of Temporary is participatory, experimental forms which may not fit anywhere else. Temporary is not centrally curated; it asks the public, across sub-cultural boundaries and disciplines, to both programme and participate in its experiments. All of those activities are monitored and translated into credit points, or 'Temporaries' (Ŧ), via the Biathlon Cultural Toolkit.

Temporary aims to provide a creative environment that operates on a regular basis, building resources both tangible (furniture, equipment, people) and intangible (inspiration, expertise, and assistance). Temporary hosts specifically-curated experiments and events.  At all other times, Temporary is potentially open for its ongoing experiment: Open Time.

Temporary hosts experiments facilitated by people (or organisations) who wish to make use of Temporary’s resources. These experiments can be easily organised via either Temporary’s website or during the weekly organisational meeting time, and they will utilise the Temps currency (built on the Biathlon toolkit). The activities of Temporary are open to the imagination, but may include experiments in games, biology, aesthetics, language, movement, business, food, or anything else. Have a look at our current and past experiments to get an idea of what has happened here.

Open Time is unstructured, un-facilitated hours where anyone can come to use the space for whatever constructive purposes they see fit: as a mobile office, social meeting space, or place for other curiosities. It is hoped that Open Time will be an environment that will foster collaborations and develop projects that could take place at Temporary. Open Time is open to everyone; please check the website before coming to see if Temporary is actually, in fact, open before coming.

Temporary discourages rigidity and disciplinary boundaries, and seeks to programme high-quality, innovative events which operate in parallel to (neither opposed to, nor requiring) professional structures.

More questions? admin at temporary.fi will try to answer them.