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.
M_itä? Biennale of Contemporary Art
The M_itä? Biennale of Contemporary Art is an overview of contemporary art which will be held every two years in East Finland. Its production is a collaboration between art museums of Kuopio, Mikkeli and Joensuu. The biennale displays the contemporary art of the region, giving East Finnish artists visibility and improving their opportunities for work.
The Artists
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.
The Curator
Artist Kirsi Pitkänen is the chief curator of the 2025 Biennale in Kuopio. In her own artistic work, she has focused in particular on performance and installation art. Pitkänen’s works have been exhibited at the Shanghai World Expo, ANTI Contemporary Art Festival, the international SLUSH event and Mänttä Art Festival.
Kirsi Pitkänen was the Provincial Artist for Visual Arts in Central Finland in 2014-2016. Since 2015, Pitkänen has focused on coordinating and curating public art projects, especially in the built environment.
Performance Works
Juha Valkeapää: Animal beings
Sat 20.9. 2025 15–16
Sat 10.1. 2026 15–16
Sat 11.1.2026 15–16
KUMMA
Kauppakatu 35
Taneli Törmä: ALIEN – Kuopio
Sat 18.10.2025 12.30–14.30
Sun 16.11.2025 15–17
KUMMA
Kauppakatu 35
Anna Fält, Emma Fält & Andrea Mancianti: Danceformations
Fri 10.10. 2025 18
Sat 11.10. 2025 18
Lumit-stage
Haapaniemenkatu 8
Works in Other Locations
Jouni Airaksinen: Ladder, sculpture
Kuopio City Theater lobby
Niiralankatu 2
Ulla-Mari Lindström: Soundscapes from the wold, sound installation
Kuopio Music Center, ground floor restroom
Kuopionlahdenkatu 23
Piia Rossi: The curtain, installation
Old Kuopio Museum, pharmacy building
Kirkkokatu 22
Markku ”Sika” Puustinen: Surrounded by water, sound installation
The corner of Kauppakatu and Puijonkatu
Saara Hyvärinen: The last sentences, video installation
Puijonlaakso library
Mailatie 2