Wild Horses Atelier
Elina Pirinen has renovated a 100 m² space at Tinasepäntie 41 in the northern part of the Helsinki city center, Old Käpylä, and opened it to contemporary dance artists of different ages and from different countries who specialize in physical, musical, and linguistic practices. The atelier is aimed at dance artists whose primary medium is the psychophysical art of the body and movement, and working with other mediums through them.
Wild Horses Atelier is located in a peaceful, green area with excellent tram, train, bicycle, and bus connections. The main focus of the Atelier is on physical practice, training, passionate and hopeful artistic exploration, libidinal i.e. imaginative and Eros-based work on its wonderful diversity – and being present at the different stages of the artistic processes of art works. In addition to dance and physical work, the space can be used for organizing seminars, mentoring sessions, parties, and peer support groups. The intention is that the artists working in the space can form a supporting network where they can boost each other’s art.
The space used to be a horse stable. Atelieer has been assessed for indoor air quality and is healthy. It has windows facing two directions and is located in a separate part of a beautiful 1930s functionalist house. The studio has access to sanitary facilities, a shower, washing machines, and a sauna. The studio’s wide doors lead to a lush garden. The building is well maintained and artist-friendly.
A respectful workspace for economically vulnerable freelancers in the dance and contemporary performing arts field means a space with a sprung floor that prevents injuries and pain, enabling people of all ages to work. The space offers a peaceful working environment, high-quality sound system and facilities for playing live instruments, cooking facilities, surfaces renovated with breathable and ecological materials, natural light, good indoor air and air conditioning, a sofa for resting, and clean sanitary and washing facilities with a sauna. Artists can store materials related to their practice at the studio. The space has an accessible entrance and access to a garden for breaks. The studio is accessible by public transport and there is a grocery store nearby.
The Atelieer project got started because Pirinen is at a turning point in her work routine. In recent years, Pirinen’s work as a dance artist has focused too much on office work, as is the case with many others in the field. Many freelance contemporary dance artists are forced to work in poor, physically unsafe spaces and ”haul their gear back and forth in Ikea bags.” The Atelier is a small paradise for those who cannot afford to rent expensive and ergonomically safe dance studios. The unfortunate exclusivity of access to these spaces contributes to the kind of practices that artists specializing in new dance create, leading to unfair criticism of the quality of their work. Due to the lack of proper workspaces, technological dominance affects the way the body and movement are transformed into art and how the viewer connects with the proposal.
Pirinen wants to share the space with her colleagues at a reasonable price according to their needs. In addition, the space is used for organizing seminars, building an artistic peer support system, and open rehearsals. The space will also be offered to festivals and other more institutional actors operating in Helsinki who suffer from a lack of rehearsal facilities.
In addition to working with professional artists, Pirinen plans and offers regular creative avant-garde dance classes for children in toddler age and their guardians in her studio, together with suitable colleagues, on a pay-what-you-can basis depending on the economical situations of the families. Children can participate either alone or with their guardians of different generations. The courses are led by masters of dance and performing arts who are inspired by children’s fantasmatic reality as a starting point for accessing the ageless art identity. Pirinen hopes that this act will bring generations together in a guided, safe, fun, and sensitive creative atmosphere amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
In 2026, alongside strengthening the artistic life of children, Pirinen plans to design and implement a series of dance classes called Adult Fairy Tale Ballet, which will empower and entertain adults who are burdened by their working lives and everyday routines. The course is a chance for those who never got to experience children’s ballet classes and were unable to explore their artistic side as kids. The course is suitable for both art professionals and enthusiasts.