Olafur Eliasson, “Viewing machine”; Photo by Jochen Volz
Ahead of its summer opening, Helsinki Biennial 2025 has shared the 37 international artists and collectives participating in its third edition, Shelter: Below and beyond, becoming and belonging, curated by Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen and produced by HAM Helsinki Art Museum. Inviting all, the biennial opens to the public on June 8, transforming Helsinki into a summer-long, city-wide celebration of art in unique locations across the city; from the maritime setting of Vallisaari Island to HAM Helsinki Art Museum, and for the first time, Esplanade Park, the green heart of Helsinki.
Presenting ambitious work by Finnish and international artists, the biennial aims to strengthen global recognition of the Finnish art scene whilst contributing to its evolving cultural landscape. As a lasting legacy, select artworks from each edition remain on permanent display throughout the city.
Hans Rosenström, “The Garden, The End of Times, The Beginning of Times”. Photo by Anders Sune Berg
Sara Bjarland, “Suspended Matter”
Featuring new commissions and site-specific works, the biennial takes inspiration from Vallisaari island’s protected ecosystem, preserved from human habitation for decades. Against this backdrop and amid the global climate crisis and loss of biodiversity, the biennial’s central theme of Shelter encourages a shift away from human-centric perspectives and instead invites artists to foreground non-human actors – such as plants, animals, fungi and minerals -as protagonists in their works. By considering alternative perspectives, the biennial reimagines humanity’s relationship with nature to inspire climate optimism and positive environmental action.
The Helsinki Biennial continues to invite dialogue and works by artists from across the globe who will present new commissions as well as new works and editions. The 2025 biennial will see particular emphasis on artists from the wider Nordic region, Latin America and Asia, and aims to incorporate the worldviews of Indigenous representatives. Participants include:
“Our intention for this edition of the Helsinki Biennial is to encourage a shift in thinking, away from anthropocentrism, and towards better understanding of the delicate and severely imbalanced relationship between humankind and nature,” share Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen, curators of the Helsinki Biennial 2025. “As curators deeply concerned with the current ecological emergency, we are continually researching and exploring strategies to engage with contemporary art as a tool for addressing the climate and ecological crisis. The Helsinki Biennial is the outcome of this work, and we are so proud to share the full list of artists from across the world whose work engages so thoughtfully with these important themes.”
See full details on the event here.
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