M_itä? Biennale of Contemporary Art 2025 in Kuopio

At the Kuopio Biennial, nothing is ordinary.

The artworks do not merely appear. They invite you to step inside, to sit, to sense. They construct spaces where the viewer can disappear, encounter and feel. The M_itä? Biennale of Contemporary Art presents the state of the art scene in Eastern Finland at its very best.

The biennial also extends beyond the walls of KUMMA: you’ll find works exhibited at the Old Kuopio Museum, Kuopio Music Centre, Kuopio City Theatre, Lumit, Puijonlaakso and Neulamäki libraries, as well as in urban public spaces.

The biennial is part of Kuopio’s 250th anniversary celebrations.The chief curator is visual artist and art consultant Kirsi Pitkänen, who has brought together an impressive group of artists and works.

The M_itä? Biennale of Contemporary Art is organized in collaboration with the art museums of Kuopio, Mikkeli, Joensuu, and Lappeenranta, strengthening the regional significance and cooperation in the Eastern Finnish art scene.

The artists selected for the 2025 biennale are Jouni Airaksinen, Michal Czinege, Kaija Hinkula, Saara Hyvärinen, Nanna Hänninen, Antti Immonen, Hanna-Kaisa Korolainen, Maija Laurinen, Ulla-Mari Lindström, Aleksi Martikainen, Sanna Nissinen, Simo Ripatti, Piia Rossi, Jonna Suurhasko, Taneli Törmä, Kristiina Uusitalo, Juha Valkeapää, and the groups Anniina Mannila, Panu Ollikainen and Risto Puurunen, as well as Anna Fält, Emma Fält and Andrea Mancianti. The invited artist is Markku “Sika” Puustinen.