Visual arts - thisisFINLAND

Receiving polished pictures from Finnish photographer Pentti Sammallahti

At K1 in Helsinki, insightful, compassionate pictures of people, trees and animals by Pentti Sammallahti show why he’s one of Finland’s best-known photographers. (Article includes photo show.)

Arts & culture Nature

Finnish photographer Meeri Koutaniemi goes to the source

Wherever she roams, award-winning photographer Meeri Koutaniemi draws strength from Finnish nature – and never stops looking for that perfect tree to climb. Our article includes a small selection of her impressive photography.

Arts & culture Film

In northern Finland, three unconventional Sámi artists talk about culture and craft

A documentary directed by Auri Ahola traces the career trajectories of three unusual Sámi artists as they discuss their connections to Sámi culture and the landscape of the far north. The film is embedded in our article for you to watch.

1987

The year Design Forum Finland started promoting Finnish design

Arts & culture Film

Radical liberty: Finnish director Alli Haapasalo’s movie Girl Picture lets girls be girls

In Girl Picture, three teenage girls say and do what they want – without suffering any retribution. While directing the film, Alli Haapasalo realised how incredibly rare that kind of freedom is in movie plots. We talk with her about making films in Finland.

Arts & culture Visual arts

Island and mainland: At Helsinki Biennial, art inspires viewers and makes summer linger longer

We jump on a ferry to the lush island of Vallisaari to visit the 2023 Helsinki Biennial and meet a couple of the artists. (Lots more photos in the slideshow at the end of the article.)

Arts & culture Visual arts

Amos Rex’s Generation triennial spotlights talented young artists in Finland

In the Generation 2023 exhibition at Helsinki’s Amos Rex, 15-to-23-year-old artists display images of themselves and the world around us. What are they trying to tell the viewers? We check out the show.

Arts & culture Festivals

Finland offers a treasure trove of summer events

The Finnish summer is full of art and music festivals, the beauty of nature, and other gems waiting to be discovered.

Arts & culture Design

Fiskars village, a stronghold of Finnish design, combines art, artisanry and architecture in a summer biennial

Knots, knits and tiny houses are in the spotlight at the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale, a sensory adventure inviting visitors to see beauty in overlooked details. Also: The story of the Adidas logo’s Finnish origins.