The success of the international contemporary art event put the small island’s carrying capacity to the test last summer. This time, the festival can also be seen online and in the city’s public spaces.
The Helsinki Biennale, organized for the first time in the fierce heat of summer 2021, hopefully brought a mass of new audiences to contemporary art. The event was a huge success by almost all standards, the bite mainly came from the long queues formed in front of the Vallisaari ferry and the old powder cellars.
The pressure will be eased next summer by the fact that now the international art event will also spread to other parts of the capital.
In addition to the completely new commissioned works that can be experienced in Vallisaari, the Helsinki Biennale can be seen in places such as the HAM Helsinki Art Museum, the central library in Oodi and the Stoa in Itäkeskus.
Art is also offered virtually, as six online works are included in the event. They are on display at helsinkibiennial.fi.
Art looks to the future
The upcoming summer’s event is called *New directions can be born*. The name refers to an alternative way of living, understanding the world and imagining possible futures, the announcement of the event says.
There are 29 artists and collectives. About half of the biennial’s works are works commissioned for the event and place-related works. Many of them deal with burning current issues, from environmental disasters to political conflicts.
You can get to know all the artists in the exhibition beforehand on the website of the Helsinki Biennale.
– Artists and works react directly to the world around them and direct their eyes to the future. We want to encourage the audience of the biennale to consider whether art and artists could offer us new perspectives on global challenges.
The Helsinki Biennale will take place from June 12 to September 17, 2023. You can familiarize yourself with the event in advance from this link.
See the best pieces of the biennial’s works next summer.