LABRA Music-, dance- & visual performance. Helsinki City of Culture 2000, Finland. Created & perforemed by Ismo alanko & Stefan Lindfors 2000. Photos: Marco Melander, portraits of Lindfors in his Labra costume by Nauska

Sometime in 1997 Musician Ismo Alanko and Lindfors decided to take on the challenge of doing a collaboration piece as some sort of a “performance”... The project was finalized as "Labra", a 1,5 hour spectacle beyond any traditional definition of Performance Art. "Labra" was performed 22 times in February-March 2000 (premiere on February 11) at the Cable Factory (Kaapelihalli) in front of an audience of +300 as part of the "Helsinki City of Culture 2000" program.

Concept: Ismo Alanko & Stefan Lindfors, music and lyrics: Ismo Alanko, architecture. lights and costumes: Stefan Lindfors, director: Petri Lehtinen. Performers: Ismo Alanko & Stefan Lindfors, dancers: Ari Numminen & Mari Rosendal. The band "Ismo Alanko Säätiö": Samuli Laiho, Kimmo Pohjonen, Teho Majamki, Jussi Kinnunen, Marko Timonen. Choir: Anna-Mari Khr, Ona Kamu, Mia Simanainen, Sde Rissanen, Riikka Vyrynen. Sound: Hessu Iso-Ahola, Tumppi Sipilä. Lights: Marko Kettunen. Costumes: Elina Vättö. Instruments: Juha Nuutinen. Choreography: Ari Numminen. Choir arrangements: Anna-Mari Kähärä. Dresser: Helena Nurmi. Director of construction: Esa Parkatti. Producers: Katariina Lehtonen, Vesa Ristimäki, Minna-Ella Aaltonen. Production: Pop Zoo Productions, Helsinki. The shell of the dome & the costumes: Transparent inflatable plastics.

In the spring of 1995, Ismo Alanko, Finnish rock star, performed at the inaugural opening of Lindfors' one-man exhibition “Freedom of Speech” at Gallery Radar in Kansas City, Missouri. The two friends made the decision then, that after years of playing minor roles in each other's projects (Alanko performing in Lindfors’ openings, Lindfors designing CD covers for Alanko) they would do a major project together. In 1996 they began to create a touring theatrical performance that would combine live music and visual experience. Alanko wrote the lyrics (Finnish), and composed the music with his band Ismo Alanko Säätiö. Lindfors designed the 300-seat performance arena: A six-section hemisphere, 10 meters high and 14 meters in diameter at ground level. The structure, which breaks down for shipping by truck, is an orange-painted steel framework covered with transparent, inflated plastic sheets. One of the sections was pulled away from the others to allow the audience to enter and be seated, then slid back into place for the performance. Each section seated 60 people. Lindfors designed the lightning in collaboration with Marko Kettunen, and the inflatable, transparent plastic costumes in collaboration with Elina Vättö. Labra was directed by Petri Lehtinen and included two dancers and a five-person choir. It was first produced by Diiva Productions, and later by Pop Zoo. Alanko performed vocalist and musician, while Lindfors (after opening each performance by sliding 10 meters down an inflated plastic tube head first) worked the lightning board and manipulated a steady stream of images from a bank of overhead-projectors.

Lindfors' closed-in, globe-like arena with its tiny 3-meter diameter stage put the audience and performers in extremely close proximity for the full 1,5 hrs of the performance. This intimacy placed high demands on performers, technicians and audience alike, making Labra a unique theatrical experience. Labra premiered at the Cable Factory in Helsinki on February 11, 2000, and ran for a series of 22 performances.