Helsinki Forecast

An online Forecast capturing the cultural pulse of Helsinki featuring real-time insights from leading cultural commentators.

Speakers included: Kati Kivinen, Co-curator Helsinki Biennial and Head of Exhibitions at HAM Helsinki Art Museum, Sara Karpanen, Programme Director, Arts of the Finnish Institute, Josefina Nelimarkka, Artist. Moderated by Vanessa Vainio, Art Consultant and Curator.

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1. Old Roots, New Voices

The Helsinki Biennial brings together artists across generations and explores how our relationships with nature and non-human life have evolved over time.

2. Beyond Helsinki

The Biennial is a platform to spotlight underrepresented regions and indigenous voices, such as Sámi artists, shifting the Helsinki-centric focus and amplifying diverse narratives from across rural Finland.

3. Sensing the Climate: Art as dialogue

The Biennial is guided by a sustainability plan that connects its theory to practice. They work closely with biologists to inform material choices and actively work to reduce travel, aligning with their focus on serving a primarily local audience.

“Collecting has not traditionally been a central aspect of Finnish Cultural life, enabling the cultivation of thoughtful research-based practices that prioritise environmental engagement”
- Speaker

4. Curating with Conscience

This years Biennial emphasises local production, reduced travel, and biologist-informed material choices to align curatorial practices with ecological responsibility, particularly within its sensitive island setting.

“We have decided not to have humans in any main characters in the works… we are concentrating on all the other entities, plants and animals and so on”
- Speaker

“Helsinki has a really thriving, unique art scene. It’s a really compelling model, one that isn’t driven by commercial pressure, but shaped instead by strong public support, deep respect for the natural world, and a cultural mindset rooted in humility, care and contentment.”
- Moderator