Art - thisisFINLAND

Sounds like Finland: Capturing the country’s essence in music

What does a country sound like? Finland set out to answer this question by becoming the first nation in the world to create an official national soundscape. Plug in, press play and experience Finland – no plane ticket required.

Arts & culture Webpick

Adventure of a lifetime: Director Charlie McDowell films Finnish author Tove Jansson’s Summer Book

When American director Charlie McDowell set out to adapt Tove Jansson’s Summer Book in Finland’s archipelago, both he and the legendary actress Glenn Close found themselves profoundly affected by the untouched nature.

Life & society Architecture

Admiring art nouveau: Helsinki’s architectural eye candy

Helsinki showcases one of Europe’s richest concentrations of photogenic art nouveau buildings. We aim a camera at some of our favourite Finnish façades, towers, doorways and balconies.

Arts & culture Technology

Finnish university project seeks to understand video game culture

With the increasing popularity and impact of video games on today’s cultural landscape comes the need to study and analyse them, too.

Arts & culture Finnishness

Visit a scenic Finnish lake essential to the country’s cultural legacy

The shores of one picturesque lake were home to a community of Finland’s most significant artists in the early 1900s – a cultural powerhouse whose legacy and influence is still vibrantly alive.

Business & innovation Innovation

Made in Finland: Meet the designer of the iconic Snowflake reflector, which popularised a life-saving innovation

Kalervo Elias Suomela merged form, function and fashion in the classic Snowflake pedestrian reflector. That’s how his story became intertwined with one of Finland’s most successful and beneficial inventions.

Arts & culture Visual arts

Urbane renewal: Returning a beloved Helsinki landmark to its original form

We visit a workshop at an undisclosed location where the venerable sculpture Havis Amanda is undergoing a yearlong conservation project. [Update: It returned to its harbourside perch in June 2024 – with a new plan to protect it during major celebrations.]

Arts & culture Visual arts

Inspiration and influences: 12 artists in Finland talk about life and creativity

On a fascinating journey of discovery, we visit an array of Finland-based artists to find out what ideas animate and inform their work.