How two festivals in Helsinki brought art, music and design to audiences, despite obstacles
Two beloved fixtures on Helsinki’s early autumn calendar – the Helsinki Festival and Helsinki Design Week – shared outdoor exhibitions, pop-up gift concerts and other memorable experiences while respecting pandemic restrictions.
Finnish design company Iittala celebrates 140 years of creating a world in glass
The town of Iittala, 125 kilometres (75 miles) north of Helsinki, has a tradition of glassblowing and design that goes all the way back to 1881. As the Iittala brand celebrates 140 years of creativity, we look at its prominent place in Finnish design.
Art in the archipelago: Helsinki Biennial reflects global concerns
Exploring identity, interconnectedness and the ecological crisis, the event’s theme and subtitle, “The Same Sea,” is more relevant than ever in a world marked by a pandemic.
Helsinki show spotlights the continual renewal of an age-old Finnish art form
It’s a word that many find difficult to pronounce, but the technique and designs of “ryijy” tapestries hold a special place in Finnish culture. We visit an extensive ryijy exhibition at Kunsthalle Helsinki to see a traditional art form that remains vibrant.
Some extraordinary Finnish people you should know about (yes, they’re all women)
In honour of not only International Women’s Day (March 8), but every other day of the year, we bring you a list of remarkable Finnish women, past and present: artists, sports stars, musicians, politicians, writers and more.
“The world was very large in those days”: A brief guide to Finland’s Moomin books
Here’s our concise list of the Moomin novels, by Tove Jansson, perhaps Finland’s most famous writer and artist. Relive the adventures, or, if you’ve only seen the comic strips, discover the original books. Plus: A slideshow takes you inside the National Museum’s Moomin exhibition.
