Vapaa Collective: Architectural Acts of Care at Archtober

Performative actions in the city by Vapaa Collective
Monday 30 Sept - Hudson Yards (towards south)
Wednesday 2 Oct - Brooklyn Bridge (towards south)
Thursday 3 Oct - Pier 35/Williamsburg Bridge (towards north)
Exact schedule and locations updated here and on IG @thefciny

Acts of Care symposium
Tuesday 1 October 6-9 pm
Snarkitecture office, New York
The attendance is free, but places are very limited. Please RSVP by September 26th here!
Read more about the symposium here.

The Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Finland in New York and the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, is excited to present Helsinki-based Vapaa Collective as part of the 2024 Archtober program. Vapaa Collective’s project, Architectural Act of Care, consists of two parts: a series of performative actions in the public realm in New York City performed by the collective between 30 September and 4 October, and Acts of Care symposium on 1 October.

As the final chapter in Vapaa Collective’s Architectural Acts of Care series, which started in Helsinki in spring 2024 and continued in London in June 2024, the collective invites you to envision a future that demands a radical shift in how we design and build.

The series explores connections between architecture and care, especially in the context of climate change. The New York edition focuses on the threat of rising sea levels to Lower Manhattan, urging us to rethink architecture’s role in nurturing and sustaining our environment.

Using water, sunlight, and other natural elements, Vapaa Collective stages performative actions in Lower Manhattan. These actions highlight the delicate and temporary nature of care in architecture, emphasizing that maintaining our built environment requires continuous attention and adaptation, particularly as we face the impacts of climate change.

Vapaa’s performance in New York draws out the time between now and distant futures through working with the current waterfront and the one imagined if predictions on sea level rise become reality. The issue is as prominent in Finland known for its archipelagos, as it is in Lower Manhattan, built on former marshlands.

Founded in 2019 by Helsinki-based architects Iines Karkulahti, Charlotte Nyholm, and Meri Wiikinkoski, Vapaa Collective is dedicated to regenerative design and sustainable urban transformation. Their work ranges from public performances and workshops to theoretical writings and curatorial projects, pushing the boundaries of how we engage with architecture

Archtober is New York City's annual Architecture and Design Month, featuring a wide array of tours, lectures, workshops, panels, and exhibitions throughout October. Archtober promotes the discovery of architecture and design by providing experiences and content accessible to everyone. In collaboration with numerous partners, the program offers a month-long exploration of how architecture shapes our cities and communities.

Vapaa Collective’s participation in Archtober is commissioned by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York and the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland in partnership with the Consulate General of Finland in New York. The project is part of the pARTir initiative funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.