Shelter

The Helsinki Biennial 2025 reveals Shelter: Below and beyond, becoming and belonging as the title of its third edition, which will present and celebrate ambitious work by around 35 Finnish and international artists and artist groups across three distinct venues: Vallisaari island in the Helsinki archipelago, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, and, for the first time, Esplanade Park in central Helsinki.

Curated by Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen, Shelter takes inspiration from Vallisaari’s protected ecosystem, preserved from human habitation for decades. Against this biodiverse backdrop and amid the global climate crisis, the biennial invites us to rethink shelter not as a physical barrier against the elements, but as a nurturing space—psychological, social, or ecological—where all forms of life can find protection and thrive. Shifting away from a human-centric perspective, it invites artists to foreground non-human actors—plants, animals, fungi, and minerals—as protagonists in the works, reimagining humanity's relationship with nature to inspire positive environmental action.

Comprising around 50 precent new commissions and site-specific works, the first participants to be announced include:

Band of Weeds (Finland), Ana Teresa Barboza (Peru), Sara Bjarland (Finland/Netherlands), Tania Candiani (Mexico), Olafur Eliasson (Denmark/Iceland), Geraldine Javier (Philippines), LOCUS (Norway), nabbteeri (Finland), Ernesto Neto (Brazil), Otobong Nkanga (Nigeria/Belgium), Hans Rosenström (Finland).

Vallisaari island offers a unique opportunity to imagine what unfolds when humans step back and non-human actors take prominence. Through a judicious selection of artists attuned to environmental concerns, the works observe and interpret the surrounding nature while also speculating on potential futures. In this context, the power of art is fully realised—its ability to create new agencies and shape alternate realities. The curators expand:

“The third edition of the Helsinki Biennial envisions art as a source of shelter and compassion, both conceptually and physically. Animals, plants, insects, minerals, and other non-human actors are the protagonists, their significance and role in the wellbeing of our shared planet is explored from various interspecies perspectives. Equally, the stories and worldviews of Indigenous representatives, including their animist knowledge, come to the fore, offering understanding that fosters a more sustainable and holistic relationship with the environment and all its inhabitants.”

This vision is manifested in the practices and ethics of the Helsinki Biennial itself, which maintains a commitment to caring for the planet through responsible exhibition-making, as well as socially sustainable and inclusive principles. Following its first two editions, the Helsinki Biennial 2025 is forging new spaces of protection through a systemic sustainability plan designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice. By continuously evaluating its production and impact (as detailed in the 2021 impact study available here), the biennial aligns with the City of Helsinki’s strategy to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Inviting all, the 2025 biennial aims to increase its accessibility with more artworks on show in the heart of Helsinki.

“Through the Helsinki Biennial, we aim to create a thought-provoking celebration of contemporary art, welcoming broad audiences to experience the beauty of summer in Helsinki. The biennial sees Helsinki transformed into a city of art that attracts visitors far and wide and strengthens international recognition of the entire Finnish art scene', says Arja Miller, director of the biennial and HAM Helsinki Art Museum. 'We also want to ensure that each biennial edition leaves a lasting legacy in the form of public art commissions. This not only creates a positive cultural imprint on the city of Helsinki but also embraces a more sustainable way of working—maximizing the presence of art throughout Helsinki for generations to come.”