Kaija Hinkula's 'You Are Here' Turns Wayfinding Into Misdirection at Ama Gallery Helsinki
Finnish artist Kaija Hinkula showcased her exhibition 'You Are Here' at Ama Gallery in Helsinki from August 14 to September 6, 2026. The display featured a variety of sculptural paintings and installations inspired by navigation themes. Notable pieces included 'Interstellar' and 'Backpacker,' which engaged interactively with the gallery's architecture. Hinkula, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of the Arts Helsinki, explores concepts of maps and signs through her work. Accompanying her art, writer Minna Mikkonen provided insights into navigation and cartography, enriching the exhibition's thematic exploration.
Key facts
- 'You Are Here,' a solo exhibition by Kaija Hinkula, was on view at Ama Gallery in Helsinki from August 14 to September 6, 2026
- The exhibition featured a new body of sculptural paintings built around imaginary wayfinding and navigation systems
- Works including 'Interstellar' and 'Backpacker' incorporate objects and hardware directly into shaped-wood relief surfaces
- Writer Minna Mikkonen contributed texts on place, navigation, and locating oneself, developed through a shared process with the artist
- Hinkula graduated with an MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki, in 2021
- Her solo exhibitions include Pragovka Gallery in Prague, HAM Gallery and Forum Box in Helsinki, and Oulu Art Museum
- In 2025 she held an ISCP residency in New York supported by the Saastamoinen Foundation and the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki
- She received the shared Fine Arts Academy of Finland Foundation Prize in 2025, and the exhibition was supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland
Entities
Artists
- Kaija Hinkula
- Minna Mikkonen
- Janette Holmström
Institutions
- Ama Gallery
- Pragovka Gallery
- HAM Gallery
- Forum Box
- Oulu Art Museum
- Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki
- University of the Arts Helsinki
- International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP)
- Saastamoinen Foundation
- Fine Arts Academy of Finland Foundation
- Arts Promotion Centre Finland
- Catapult Contemporary
Locations
- Helsinki
- Finland
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- Oulu
- New York
- United States
- Europe
- Asia
- Rikhardinkatu 1
- Vienna
- Austria