The Helsinki Biennial 2025 will be titled ‘Shelter: Below and beyond, becoming and belonging’, organisers have announced. Eschewing people-centric perspectives, the Biennial’s third edition will feature non-human protagonists.
ADVERTISEMENTTaking place across three locations in the Finnish capital – HAM Helsinki Art Museum, former military island Vallisaari and, for the first time, Esplanade Park (beloved as the green heart of Helsinki) – the Biennial will feature the work of approximately 35 Finnish and international artists.
Slated to open on 8 June, the Biennial draws inspiration from Vallisaari's relatively untouched ecosystem, inviting artists to explore "shelter" as a nurturing space – psychological, social, or ecological – where all forms of life, human and non-human, can thrive. Works will foreground non-human actors like plants, animals, and minerals, shifting the focus away from human perspectives to inspire a deeper, more sustainable relationship with the environment.
Curated by Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen, the Biennial will comprise around 50% new commissions and site-specific works. Among the big names already announced is Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, known for his innovative explorations of nature and perception.
Chosen not least for their attention to environmental concerns, the full first tranche of participants to be announced are: Band of Weeds (FI), Ana Teresa Barboza (PE), Sara Bjarland (FI/ NL), Tania Candiani (MX), Olafur Eliasson (DK/IS), Geraldine Javier (PH), LOCUS (Tanja Thorjussen & Thale Blix Fastvold) (NO), Nabbteeri (FI), Ernesto Neto (BR), Otobong Nkanga (NG/BE), Hans Rosenström (FI).
“The third edition of the Helsinki Biennial envisions art as a source of shelter and compassion, both conceptually and physically. Animals, plants, insects, minerals, and other non-human actors are the protagonists, their significance and role in the wellbeing of our shared planet is explored from various interspecies perspectives,” the curators say. “Equally, the stories and worldviews of Indigenous representatives, including their animist knowledge, come to the fore, offering understanding that fosters a more sustainable and holistic relationship with the environment and all its inhabitants.”
“We also want to ensure that each biennial edition leaves a lasting legacy in the form of public art commissions. This not only creates a positive cultural imprint on the city of Helsinki but also embraces a more sustainable way of working – maximising the presence of art throughout Helsinki for generations to come,” Arja Miller, director of the Helsinki Biennial and HAM Helsinki Art Museum, says of the Biennial’s legacy.
The third edition of the Helsinki Biennial will run 8 June – 21 September 2025.
