Shelter: Helsinki Biennial 2025 asks humans to take a step back

Taking place across three locations in the Finnish capital – HAM Helsinki Art Museum, former military island Vallisaari and, for the first time, Esplanade Park (beloved as the green heart of Helsinki) – the Biennial will feature the work of approximately 35 Finnish and international artists.

Slated to open on 8 June, the Biennial draws inspiration from Vallisaari's relatively untouched ecosystem, inviting artists to explore "shelter" as a nurturing space – psychological, social, or ecological – where all forms of life, human and non-human, can thrive. Works will foreground non-human actors like plants, animals, and minerals, shifting the focus away from human perspectives to inspire a deeper, more sustainable relationship with the environment.

Curated by Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen, the Biennial will comprise around 50% new commissions and site-specific works. Among the big names already announced is Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, known for his innovative explorations of nature and perception.

Chosen not least for their attention to environmental concerns, the full first tranche of participants to be announced are: Band of Weeds (FI), Ana Teresa Barboza (PE), Sara Bjarland (FI/ NL), Tania Candiani (MX), Olafur Eliasson (DK/IS), Geraldine Javier (PH), LOCUS (Tanja Thorjussen & Thale Blix Fastvold) (NO), Nabbteeri (FI), Ernesto Neto (BR), Otobong Nkanga (NG/BE), Hans Rosenström (FI).

“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