New commissioned soundscape composition for The Architecture & Design Museum
The Routes of Helsinki - Makasiiniranta is the latest sound piece of the project. The piece is part of the exhibition of the design competition for the upcoming AD museum. The piece is about the urban experience, the present and the future at the historic and iconic harbour area of Helsinki.
Helsinki sound art in Japan
As a selected artist of Finnish Institutes' pARTir initiative, Mikko H. Haapoja got first ever Finnish soundscape art solo exhibitions in Japan for April 2025. Haapoja presented Helsingin reitit - The Routes of Helsinki 15th anniversary exhibitions in Tokyo and Hanno. See more information from the project site. In September 2025, The Routes of Helsinki 2010-2025 exhibition was installed in Helsinki, Sound Art Gallery Akusmata.
Helsinki Soundtrack
The Routes of Helsinki project captures Helsinki city soundscapes in the times when the city is growing and changing rapidly. In the very first Route of Helsinki (Ensimmäinen reitti) one can hear also Finnish traditional instruments, kanteles and bowed lyres and singing in addition to the sounds of the city space. Another part of the series - 14 minutes long sound art composition Beeline (Luotisuora) tells about the central and historical city axis between Kallio church and Helsinki Observatory. Beeline is currently installed in the Helsinki Bites exhibition in Helsinki City Museum. In November 2016 the work was presented also in Lower East Side, New York.
In September 2019, The Routes of Helsinki works were gathered together for a 2010-2020 exhibition in the Sound Art Gallery Akusmata, Helsinki. In August 2020, Helsingin reitit - The Routes of Helsinki celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Art & Science Tram Onni in Teurastamo area. Helsingin Sanomat newspaper made an article about Helsingin reitit project
Finnish national broadcasting company YLE premiered Helsingin reitit 2010-2020 soundscape collage 5.5.2020.
In 2023, The Routes of Helsinki – Central Forest (Keskusmetsä) piece represented Finland in EBU's Prix Palma Ars Acustica radio art competition.
Together with folk rap collective haapoja & illmari, The Routes of Helsinki released a special CD/LP Uusi maailma (The New World) in 2017, combining urban sound art with rap, spoken word and new wave folk music. Here you can check out The First Route (Ensimmäinen reitti) spoken word video:
During 2010-2020, in addition to Beeline and the First Route, Haapoja has composed f.ex. a soundscape piece HÄMÄRÄ - DUSK, which focuses on nocturnal soundscapes of Helsinki. The Routes of Helsinki - DUSK debuted in Virka Gallery at Helsinki City Hall from September to November 2015. The Routes of Helsinki have been presented in various galleries and public places in Helsinki - including Narinkkatori, Kamppi, where Haapoja, illmari and visual artist Elina Aho-Brennan made their first 'Sound Landscapes' performance – continuing the collaboration ever since.
Helsingin reitit / Sound Landscapes performance at the Virka Gallery, Helsinki City Hall 8/2015.
Sound Landscapes live 8/2016 Black Box, Helsinki Music Centre (photos: Kira Leskinen)
Stay tuned for upcoming events at facebook.com/helsinginreitit