Finnish contemporary circus piece Tempo tours Venice, Singapore and more

The two-week dance programme of the Venice Biennale in summer 2026 consists of more than 60 new works, with Kalle Nio’s Tempo the sole Finnish representative.

Tempo features text, movement and hypnotic stage illusions where time runs backward, gravity disappears and the laws of nature dissolve. In the piece, created together with Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo, Nio combines visual theatre, cinematic expression, contemporary circus and new magic.

Tempo premiered last autumn at the Helsinki Festival. It has garnered significant international interest, and starting in spring 2026 it tours a range of countries, from Singapore to Portugal.

Finnish artists have not often been seen in the performing arts programme of the Venice Biennale. Tero Saarinen’s Hunt was featured previously in the dance lineup, in 2002.

Finnish entrepreneurs’ innovative office pods mix tech and design

Samu Hällfors and Vesa-Matti Marjamäki were annoyed at their boss. He had a habit of making loud phone calls in their company’s open plan office, disturbing everyone as they worked.

“Vesa-Matti complained about the noise and our boss said, ‘Well, I have to call our customers, so build me a phone booth to use.’ Vesa-Matti and I decided to do exactly that,” says Hällfors.

The pair had an entrepreneurial mindset and realised this could be a great business opportunity. They founded the company Framery in 2010 to build the modern equivalent of a phone booth. From such humble beginnings, the company now has almost 500 employees and is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock market. But it hasn’t been easy.

“Creating a pod was 100 times more challenging than we expected,” says Hällfors, CEO of the company. “Our first version was barely acceptable. It took us five years to get the product right.”

A product with conflicting requirements

Framery CEO Samu Hällfors sits at a small table inside a glass-walled office pod.

Framery CEO Samu Hällfors sits inside one of the Finnish company’s soundproof office pods, designed to create quiet, private spaces within open plan workplaces.Photo: Guillaume Roujas/Framery

Open plan offices are popular because they are flexible and use less space, perfect for modern hybrid working. Yet there are tradeoffs, such as a lack of privacy for important conversations or quiet for work which needs concentration.

“We had to build a product with contradictory requirements,” Hällfors explains. “It needed to be perfectly sealed for privacy. Even a 1-millimetre gap in a seal would ruin the soundproofing. However, for ventilation we needed a big hole which allows 25 litres of air per second to circulate. So in essence we became experts at soundproof ventilation systems.”

Framery needed to become experts at quite a few things, such as acoustics, lighting, climate control and product design. The end result is a selection of sleek, modern booths with seats, desks and connectivity. They don’t take up much space but appear larger from the inside thanks to the glass walls. The booths have an understated, Nordic minimalism quality to them.

Made in Finland

One of Finnish company Framery’s soundproof phone booth with desk and stool stands in a dark acoustic testing chamber with patterned sound-absorbing walls and strip lighting overhead.

Photo: Framery

They offer four types of booths, ranging from a compact pod for one person up to a mini meeting room for six. While offices are the most common places to find a Framery product, the booths are surprisingly versatile. Hospitals use them for doctor-patient consultations, while podcasters have discovered their acoustic qualities. They are used in airports, malls and libraries, and even in a few private homes.

“I’ve heard an opera singer uses one of our booths to practice at home. Opera singers aren’t a big market for us, but that is still pretty cool!” Hällfors laughs.

The booths are designed and manufactured in Finland and shipped around the world. Geographically, Europe is Framery’s largest market, followed by North America and Asia.

“Finland is a very good place to be for a global business like us, with 95 percent of our revenue coming from abroad,” Hällfors says. “The Tampere area has a legacy of high-tech development dating back to when Nokia had a huge R&D presence here. Today we get a lot of our talent from the universities in Tampere.”

Making an office “smart”

Three employees talk inside a glass office pod made by Finnish company Framery while colleagues collaborate in an open workplace lounge using a whiteboard mounted on the pod’s exterior wall.

Photo: Framery

Framery has plenty of experts in product development, manufacturing and supply chains, but they recently needed to find more talent when they expanded into software. They have developed smart office solutions to complement their booths, such as space management and wayfinding systems so workers can find and book offices or Framery booths.

“We are integrating more technologies into our physical products to make life easier and the experience better for the end-users,” says Hällfors. “We also have solutions for property managers to understand and optimise how their space is being used.”

It took more than four years for Framery to reach a million euros in revenue, and now they are approaching 200 million. They have developed an innovative solution for the hybrid way of working and see more success to come.

“We are investing for the future and I’m excited about the continued integration of software and physical product,” Hällfors says. “We want the Framery experience to begin as soon as a person enters a building.”

By David J. Cord, May 2026

In Oulu, northern Finland, cultural events you don’t want to miss

Programme picks you don’t want to miss:

Summer Night’s Dinner In Summer Night’s Dinner guests share local dishes at a kilometre-long table. The more adventurous foodie might try rössypottu, a dish made of pork and potatoes, recently rated the worst food in the world. August 15, 2026.

Dalia Stasevska stands in front of a wall, smiling over her shoulder at the camera.

Dalia Stasevska

Beyond the Sky brings space within reach. The project blends art, science and technology, reflecting astrophotographer Jukka-Pekka Metsävainio’s photos of distant nebulae on the ceiling of the Oulu Hall event centre. The Oulu Symphony Orchestra brings Lauri Porra’s evocative musical composition to life, conducted by Dalia Stasevska.
 November 19–21, 2026.

A man sits on a wooden bench in a sauna, throwing water from a ladle.

Olosauna is a modern village sauna.

The Art of Sauna The unique wonders of Finnish sauna culture will present themselves to guests at Tuira Beach, located by the Oulujoki river delta. Visitors can rent mobile saunas made of plywood, each fitting up to ten people at a time. Throughout the year.

Untamed Office is an urban production agency that recruits teams of young adults to bring Oulu to life. They organise clubs, street festivals, design events and exhibitions on Pikisaari, an island inhabited by artists and the creative class. Throughout the year.

Hydropower plant series This experimental opera series takes over the hydropower plants of rivers Oulu and Emä. Performances will spread to the vast area from Suomussalmi to Muhos. The series explores the harnessing of the rivers from the 19th century to this day. You can even experience shows at the bottom of the river! Throughout the year.

Ekho Collective: Layers in the Peace Machine
The immersive installation is based on the literary work called Peace Machine by late researcher Timo Honkela. The artwork sheds light on the concept of building peace and will be influenced by audience members’ peace-related memories, collected in 2025. Throughout the year.

By Kristiina Ella Markkanen, ThisisFINLAND Magazine
Photos: Lumi Ripatti, Kevin Kallombo

In Finland, swimwear isn’t just for summer

It’s not easy being the CEO of a Finnish swimwear brand. Both Salla Maisonlahti, cofounder of Halla Halla, and Laura Saarinen, founder of Lilja the Label, have the same question topping their FAQ lists: Aren’t your summers really short?

“First: Finns know how to make the most of every season, so people wear swimwear all year round,” Maisonlahti says. “And second: we don’t only sell swimwear to Finns. It’s always summer somewhere!”

Saarinen, too, points out that Finland has a wonderfully – and exceptionally – diverse swimwear culture.

“Our sauna culture as well as our ice swimming and cold-water swimming culture ensure that for us, swimwear isn’t just for summer and travel,” she says. “That’s the message we want to take abroad, too.”

And the message has indeed travelled. Halla Halla ships its products all around the world, although Finland remains its strongest market. For Lilja the Label, 80 percent of sales are international, with the biggest customer base in Scandinavia and German-speaking Europe.

Sustainability as the guiding principle

A woman in a red one-piece swimsuit with adjustable side ties leans against rocks, shading her eyes from the sun.

Many Lilja the Label products are adjustable, so that slight changes in body size don’t need to mean buying new swimwear.Photo: Anna Kozhemyakina / Lilja the Label

For Halla Halla and Lilja the Label, sustainability is a central part of their approach to design and manufacturing. Their products are made of Econyl, a fabric made from different types of nylon waste, such as discarded fishing nets. Whenever possible, both brands make their swimwear reversible, so customers essentially get two styles in one product.

Lilja the Label’s products are manufactured in Portugal, and Halla Halla collaborates with a factory in Bali, Indonesia. Maisonlahti’s cofounder Hanna Chalvet lives in the area and visits the facility on a weekly basis.

Three women in colourful patterned swimsuits stand together by a pool, smiling and laughing.

Halla Halla products can be spotted on dry land as well, as the colourful prints make for great summer festival gear.Photo: Halla Halla

“Sustainability is like an umbrella on top of everything we do, be it what happens in our Helsinki shop or what we pack our products in,” Maisonlahti explains.

Saarinen says that Lilja the Label focuses on neutral colours, classic designs and adjustability. This way, the swimwear won’t go out of fashion and can adapt to some changes in body size.

Although sustainability is the backbone of every decision Saarinen makes as the CEO, the core of Lilja the Label’s mission is to make excellent swimwear.

“It’s not enough to be as sustainable as possible. We also want our products to be as good as possible,” she says. “Swimwear is intimate and sensitive, as people are rarely as exposed in public as they are when they wear a swimsuit. We want them to be so good that people want to put them on again and again.”

Both brands also want to serve various purposes. All three businesswomen are avid surfers, so Halla Halla and Lilja the Label want to provide for those who need their outfits to suit demanding water sports; and those looking for good times and minimal tan lines can go for less coverage. The products aren’t strictly for water-based activities either: Maisonlahti frequently spots Halla Halla products on people doing yoga or partying at festivals.

Creating space for community

A woman floats on her back in deep, rippling water, wearing a one-piece swimsuit, with her arms outstretched and eyes closed.

Lilja the Label has taken its swim clubs abroad, spreading the word about cold-water swimming.Photo: Fiia Ketonen / Lilja the Label

Both Halla Halla and Lilja the Label are also keen to create occasions for putting on swimwear. Halla Halla has a set of sauna discos – yes, discos in a sauna – lined up for the coming summer.

“It’s a playful new concept where sauna culture meets music and socialising,” Maisonlahti says. “Inspired by similar events trending across Europe, the idea is simple: heat, good music and people coming together to have fun in a uniquely Nordic way.”

Lilja the Label has organised swim clubs both in Finland and abroad, inviting locals in different cities to get together for cold-water swimming and to get to know the brand.

“As our business is mostly digital, we wanted to find a way to connect with our customers,” Saarinen says. “Our swim clubs have been a powerful way of meeting clients and bringing a physical element to our brand.”

Even in neighbouring countries, Finnish sauna culture seems to have an almost mystical element to it. Saarinen has noticed that people taking part in swim clubs have plenty of interest in and questions about sauna etiquette and all the dos and don’ts.

“We’ve ended up becoming sauna and cold-water swimming ambassadors abroad, which is of course really lovely,” she says. “But we’ve also noticed how much people are longing for community and genuine encounters.”

The best feedback Saarinen has received is when people tell her that they’ve become friends with people they’ve met at Lilja the Label’s swim clubs.

“It feels so valuable that we’ve been able to create a space for encounters that goes way beyond swimwear.”

Text by Anne Salomäki, April 2026

Finnish artist turns shifting winds into immersive art at Venice Biennale

Marking the 70th anniversary of the Pavilion of Finland, Frame Contemporary Art Finland commissioned and will present Aeolian Suite by artist Jenna Sutela at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, on view from May 9 to November 22, 2026.

Curated by Stefanie Hessler, Aeolian Suite unfolds as a multisensory environment, transforming the pavilion into a windscape of sound and movement. The artwork is composed using meteorological data, musical instruments (such as a clothesline, wind machines and a children’s woodwind orchestra) and the winds from Venice, Helsinki and beyond.

“The pavilion whisks us into an expanded conversation with the atmosphere – one that moves between scientific measurement and poetic intuition, between control and surrender,” says Hessler.

Light and laughter: Finland awakens with the joyful arrival of spring

In a country shaped by long winters, spring is less a gentle transition than a sudden release. One week the streets are lined with snowbanks; the next, the snow is gone, café terraces spill onto pavements and bicycles reappear as if summoned by the sun. Finns don lighter jackets, swap boots for trainers and step back into the open air with visible relief.

The transformation is dramatic. In southern Finland, bare branches suddenly shimmer with pale green. The forest floor, brown and muted for months, erupts with small but determined flowers: liverleaf, wood anemone and bright yellow coltsfoot pushing up through last year’s leaves.

If winter were a long sentence, spring would be the exclamation mark.

A season of light

A person jogs along a riverside path beneath a bridge at sunset, their silhouette casting a long shadow across the ground.

Photo: Jussi Hellsten / Helsinki Partners

Light is the real protagonist. After months of careful rationing, the sun returns with extravagant generosity, as if making up for lost time. It lingers into the evening and spills across the Baltic. Along the waterfront, people pause to watch it slowly set below the horizon.

Farther north, in Lapland, the contrast is even more striking. While cherry trees and balcony plants are budding in the south, skiers still glide across snowy fells under lengthening, luminous days.

Parks, pins and the promise of warmth

Two people in wide-brimmed hats smile at the camera during a street festival in Helsinki, with crowds and stalls along the road.

A one-day street festival in the Helsinki neighbourhood of Arabianranta brings art, food stalls, a flea market, circus and music performances, and thousands of visitors.Photo: Juha Valkeajoki / City of Helsinki

Urban parks fill with laughter, picnics and the distinctive clatter of wooden pins from the Finnish game of mölkky. It’s a tradition that involves throwing a wooden pin to knock over other pins; it reclaims lawns and courtyards each spring.

Grills are fired up on balconies and beaches alike. The first outdoor gatherings feel celebratory, even if the air still carries a chill. A Finn in April may be wrapped in three layers and still insist, confidently, that it is “quite warm in the sun.”

A season of gratitude

A smiling person wearing glasses and a black beret stands beneath pink cherry blossoms in Roihuvuori Cherry Park, Helsinki, Finland.

Roihuvuori Cherry Park in eastern Helsinki features 152 cherry trees, planted with sponsorship from the city’s Japanese community. In spring the Japanese Hanami festival is celebrated here when the cherry trees are in bloom.Photo: Juha Valkeajoki/Sherpa/City of Helsinki

Joggers reclaim forest trails as soon as the ice melts, revelling in firm ground and birdsong. Photographers crouch to capture the season’s first blossoms. Balcony gardeners begin planting herbs and flowers, transforming small urban spaces into pockets of green.

Even the simple act of noticing – the first flower, the first butterfly, the first warm evening – fills the heart with thanks. After months of white and grey, colour feels extravagant.

On the second Sunday in May, families gather for Mother’s Day, offering flowers and gratitude. It often coincides with the first mild weekend of the year. Restaurants fill with families enjoying brunch; children present handmade cards; and spring jackets finally replace heavy coats.

It is difficult to say whether the season inspires the celebration or the celebration confirms the season. In addition to Mother’s Day, other holidays are also strongly associated with spring: Easter and Vappu (May Day), celebrated on April 30 and May 1).

Opening the cottage door

Spring also signals the gradual return to the summer cottage. Across Finland, families begin visiting their mökki to air out rooms, sweep away winter’s dust and prepare for the months ahead. Often there is still snow in the shade, and lake surfaces may be only partly thawed.

But the ritual of “opening the cottage” marks the psychological start of summer. Windows are thrown open to the fresh air. Blankets are shaken. Gardens are sown. Plans are made.

A season in a week

Two people stand on a small dock by a red cottage in Finland, preparing to swim along a rocky shore surrounded by forest.

Photo: Maija Astikainen / City of Helsinki

After months of darkness, cold weather and reckless coffee consumption, there is a collective exhale. People linger outside. Conversations stretch longer. The threshold for joy seems lower; a sunny afternoon is reason enough to celebrate.

At the same time, the season can arrive with startling speed. I’ve heard it said that spring happens in a single week. The shift from grey to green can feel abrupt. Yet this suddenness is part of its charm.

In Finland, spring does not creep in politely, asking for permission. It bursts through the door, floods the room with light and insists that everyone come outside.

By Tyler Walton, April 2026

Northern Finnish city of Oulu offers magical mix of tech and culture

Dozens of meters below the ground, in a combined parking space and a fallout shelter, something extraordinary will take place. In the northern city of Oulu, Danish artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen will create an underground world where real pieces of nature interact with digital environments. The simulated virtual world will focus on Oulu’s subarctic setting – one of the fastest-changing environments in the world.

Underground Clash (working title) is one of many installations during Oulu’s year as the European Capital of Culture in 2026. Mixing art and technology comes naturally in a city with strong underground cultures, a hub for 6G development and a home of global tech companies like smart ring company Oura.

According to programme manager Henri Turunen, bold and curious approaches to technology can make it visible in a new way.

“When you use the latest technology to create something deeply immersive, the experience can feel almost magical,” he says. “There’s a kind of mystique or enchantment that emerges when art and technology meet.”

Embracing the peculiar

Artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen stands in front of a subterranean rock wall.

Artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen is crafting an immersive installation set within an underground car park.

For past decades, Oulu has been known for cultural events and local quirks residents affectionately call oddities. These include the annual Air Guitar World Championships, the techno festival Frozen People (held on the frozen sea), mayonnaise pizza and Screaming Men’s Choir Huutajat who scream and shout instead of singing. The musical subcultures range from harsh noise to electronic music.

Turunen recognises and appreciates these peculiarities. It’s easy to bring together unexpected elements in a community with no fear of experimentation.

“When we work across silos, it becomes easier to try new things and cross different boundaries,” Turunen says. “There’s a certain DIY mindset here, too. If you need a piece of equipment but it’s 600 kilometres away, you have to figure things out together.”

An example of this spirit is Villit – The Wild Ones, an immersive dance performance that can be seen as part of the Oulu 2026 programme during the summer. Created by a large international team, local dancers and community members, the piece invites audiences on a journey across urban space with multiple entry points and a shared final celebration where all paths come together.

“A person who listens is willing 
to change”

Artist Antye Greie-Ripatti stands in front of bare birch trees.

Antye Greie-Ripatti founded the Hai Art organisation, which focuses on artistic intervention.

The final months of 2026 in Oulu will celebrate contrasts: light and dark, technology and art, local and global. It is in this very space where multidisciplinary artist Antye Greie-Ripatti, also known as AGF, has found her niche.

From electronic music and composing to collaborative sound art in political spaces, Antye Greie-Ripatti is known for her unfiltered approach to technology as a medium for creative expression.

Together with her partner Sasu Ripatti, she curates the TAR Festival in November, part of the Capital of Culture programme – a three-day experience of genre-bending art, communality and the northern hospitality.

“We want to highlight the art that makes Oulu the city it is,” Greie-Ripatti says. Oulu is not a large city, but “in a smaller city, offering another layer to the existing reality becomes more tangible, more concrete. You can actually see the impact.”

Liberation through technology

Now based in the municipality Hailuoto, some 50 kilometres from Oulu, Greie-Ripatti balances quiet island life with artistic work. This is in stark contrast to her upbringing in East Germany, where she came of age in the late 1980s.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, she was exposed to personal technology for the first time in her life: computers, the internet and portable devices were music production tools never before available.

“I am a first-generation bedroom producer, meaning I got my start before commercial platforms and streaming services,” she explains.

For the young Antye Greie, with unrestricted use of technology came artistic independence and liberation. The lack of commercialisation allowed her to explore and experiment, eventually finding her own creative nook.

She describes herself as a sound sculptor, turning sounds into pieces of abstract art. Her work considers technology as something inherent to humans – using one’s voice, singing and listening are technologies just as digital software and production tools.

All of her work boils down to a fundamental question: When it comes to art, what do you use technology for? 
It is not simple or easy to determine but: “Do you want to use technology to create or destroy?”

Bouncing sound waves

Greie-Ripatti sees TAR as a chance to bring people together around the idea of creating hope through listening. Since 2020, she has been investigating listening in her work. For example, she has asked children to listen to field recordings of bats, wind and leaves, and re-make these sounds with their own voices. Then they examined and edited the audio waveforms.

“Listening requires openness,” she says. “A person who listens is willing to change.”

Through deep listening she can still find the freedom she felt when she first began making music. Listening opens you up to new, unexpected things. Greie-Ripatti compares this unpredictability to sound itself.

“Sound waves bounce off walls and make new waves; they have a mind of their own. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Isn’t that like life itself?”

By Kristiina Ella Markkanen, ThisisFINLAND Magazine
Photos: Vera Lakovaara, Malthe Ivarrson

Finnish fashion houses greet spring with clean lines and colour

Flowers and fashion both bloom in Finland when the snow melts and the days get longer and warmer, giving people a great reason to dress up and celebrate.

Dressing up, the Finnish way

A collage shows pastel-toned womenswear, including a pink dress, cream blazer, textured sleeveless dress, jewellery, clutch bag and beige heels, alongside a model wearing a textured pink dress and black heels.

1. Blazer, Almada Label; 2. Dress, Katri Niskanen; 3. Crystal earrings, Keski-Pomppu; 4. Silver bracelet, Annele; 5. Bouclé dress, Andiata; 6. Shoes, Hagelstam; 7. Clutch bag, Nanso.Lookbook image: Katri Niskanen

Finnish festive dressing often leans towards clean lines. The interest comes from cut, materials, colours and detail.

One of the leading names in occasionwear is Katri Niskanen. She became a household name after winning the Finnish version of Project Runway in 2009. Her designs are often seen on the red carpet and at gala events, and brides also turn to her for their special day. Her work is known for fluid fabrics, strong tailoring and a refined sense of how each garment moves with the body.

Another notable brand is Andiata, whose aesthetic is worn across the Nordics, from Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden to Queen Mary of Denmark, as well as Suzanne Innes-Stubb, the first lady of Finland.

Spring celebrations welcome more colour

A collage shows a navy shirt, light blue suit, brown loafers, wristwatch, sunglasses and cufflinks, alongside a model wearing a rust-coloured blazer, dark polo shirt and cream trousers.

1. Shirt, Pure Waste; 2. Tassel loafers, Schoffa; 3. Kelo Blue Field Watch, S.U.F Helsinki; 4. Light Blue Ceremonial Suit, Turo; 5. Sunglasses, Aarni; 6. Silver cufflinks, Lumoava.Lookbook image: Schoffa

Festive dressing is becoming more relaxed and colourful. A suit no longer needs perfectly matching pieces. A blazer paired with contrasting trousers feels modern and intentional.

Schoffa and Turo offer made-to-measure services, creating suits, blazers and trousers tailored to each client’s exact measurements. The result is a precise fit with carefully considered details.

A different approach comes from Pure Waste. Founded in 2013, the brand focuses on circular production. Its garments are made from 100-percent recycled fibres. This shirt (number 1 in the photo), for example, is crafted from recycled cotton and polyester sourced from plastic bottles. Its production uses 99 percent less water and generates 50 percent fewer carbon emissions compared to products made from virgin materials.

Off-duty dressing with intent

A collage shows a beige jacket, black sunglasses, decorative brooch, white shirt, blue jeans, red patterned handbag and brown sneakers, alongside a photo of a model wearing a tan jacket and light trousers.

1. Denim jacket, Marimekko; 2. Sunglasses, Balmuir; 3. Pre-loved brooch, Kalevala; 4. Knitted mini handbag, Marimekko; 5. Crepe shirt, Almada Label; 6. Denim jeans, Gauhar; 7. Suede trainers, Terhi Pölkki.Lookbook image: Makia

Weekend dressing is about ease with intention. Comfort matters, but so does building a wardrobe that feels personal and is easy to mix and match. Pieces designed for rewear are the ones worth investing in.

To bring in personality, the focus shifts to details. Kalevala offers a curated selection of pre-loved jewellery that adds history and individuality to everyday wear. Brooches, in particular, are making a return. Pin one onto a jacket for an instant refresh, or place it on a cap or bag for a fun accent.

Material-driven everyday dressing

A collage shows a tan jacket, red sweatshirt, cream trousers, two-tone cap, brown backpack, sunglasses and dark shoes, alongside a model wearing a similar outfit.

1. Jacket, Makia; 2. Fleece cap, Halti; 3. Sweatshirt, Makia; 4. Chinos, Schoffa; 5. Sunglasses, Aarni; 6. Backpack, Globe Hope; 7. Boat shoes, Pomar.Lookbook image: R-Collection

Casual dressing for men builds on the same principles: function first, combined with an understanding of what works with pieces you already own and wear regularly. The aim is not to reinvent your wardrobe, but to make better use of it.

Materials play a defining role. From Aarni’s sustainably sourced wood frames to Globe Hope backpacks made from surplus cotton, each piece highlights how material choices can shape the design. They bring depth and interest to otherwise simple outfits.

By Johanna Piispa, April 2026
(Images courtesy of the brands)