What happens when science and art meet in the middle of a summer festival?
Mietekeskus 2025 offers a unique afternoon at the Mitäs Mitäs Mitäs festival, where researchers, thinkers, and artists delve into the burning issues of our time, exchange views, and stretch the boundaries of reality—all in a relaxed, experimental festival spirit.
Mietekeskus is an afternoon-long program that combines deep talks, artistic performances, and a visual-sound installation. Themes include future societies, mental well-being, the transformation of cultural systems, and a gently humorous examination of humanity.
Note: Mietekeskus will be organized in Finnish.
Tuomas “Tunna” Milonoff – What is burnout and how do we recover from it?
Tunna shares his personal story to explain what burnout really feels like—and the steps needed to recover. The lecture discusses both individual experiences and societal structures that make people vulnerable to burnout. How do we rebuild a meaningful life when our former identity has been shattered?
Tuomas “Tunna” Milonoff is a Finnish TV director, producer, and documentary filmmaker, best known for the Madventures and Docventures programs. He has publicly shared his own experience with burnout and speaks about how we can return to life after burnout.
Karoliina Jarenko / Klovni Estrella Gobbellini – What if you stopped hesitating to be yourself?
This performance is a manifesto of courage and playfulness: What would happen if we lived without the fear of what others think of us? Philosopher and clown combine in an extraordinary performance that invites the audience to face themselves—through laughter, confusion, and realization.
Karoliina Jarenko is a non-fiction author, organizational consultant, and work-life philosopher, also known as the clown Estrella Gobbellini. Jarenko combines philosophy, clowning, and organizational development in her work, encouraging people to confront themselves without hesitation.
Leo Lahti – The Rise and Fall of Systems: Cultural Production, Youth Well-being, and the Data Society
Leo Lahti examines large societal systems and their dynamics: how they are born, grow, decay, and perhaps renew. Using examples from cultural production and youth well-being, he explores what these phenomena reveal about broader societal turning points in the age of data.
Leo Lahti is a professor of data analytics at the University of Turku. His research focuses on the computational analysis and modeling of complex natural and social systems. Lahti has worked internationally, including at the European Bioinformatics Institute and Wageningen University.
Aleksi Neuvonen – Future Societies
What might tomorrow look like? Aleksi Neuvonen presents different future scenarios based on research, scenario thinking, and the analysis of global trends. The lecture challenges us to think about what values, structures, and decisions we need to create a more just and sustainable society tomorrow.
Aleksi Neuvonen is a Finnish futurist and entrepreneur, and one of the founders of the think tank Demos Helsinki. He specializes in understanding societal and organizational changes and has worked as an expert in various international projects.
Antti Hupli – Psychedelic Therapy in the Treatment of Depression and Trauma
Antti Hupli presents the latest research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. What do we currently know about using psychedelics to treat depression and trauma—and what ethical, legal, and cultural questions arise in this context? The lecture offers an intersection of science and society.
Antti Hupli is a sociologist and psychedelic researcher specializing in the use of psychedelics to treat depression and trauma. He has published several scientific articles on the subject and is actively involved in international research networks.
The mood of the day is enriched by art and music
The day kicks off with music and movement led by DJ Juha Dallas. The Flux Lumina installation features Luca Delgado’s live painting, VJ Konstantin Zotov’s visuals, and an ambient soundscape by Kataja. During breaks, participants can pause and relax with guided relaxation exercises by Jenni Milonoff.
The event will be hosted by three interpreters from different fields
The event will be hosted by multi-disciplinary artist and Luna Radio sound world explorer Frida Gullichsen, boundary-crossing Human-AI artist and visual expression multi-tasker Aleksandra Mallet, and researcher Jukka-Pekka Heikkilä, who operates in the realm of curious thought and activism, and whose vision and work led to the creation of Mietekeskus.
Mietekeskus is now being organized for the second time as part of the Mitäs Mitäs Mitäs festival.
The event invites attendees to reflect and discuss—but above all, to experiment with thinking in different ways: through speech, silence, art, movement, and music.
