Helsinki Biennial 2023: New Directions May Emerge

The second edition of the Helsinki Biennial, titled "New Directions May Emerge," will run from June 12 to September 17, 2023. Curated by Joasia Krysa, the free event features around 30 international artists and includes exhibitions, performances, film screenings, publications, and online programs. The biennial explores three conceptual threads: contamination, regeneration, and action, drawing on the Baltic Sea's polluted state as a catalyst for positive cross-pollination. It also examines how exhibitions can heal urban environments and how human life, environment, and technology can co-evolve. The title references anthropologist Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing. Venues include Vallisaari island, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki Central Library, and other cultural institutions. The biennial partners with five institutions: Museum of Impossible Forms, TBA21–Academy, Critical Environmental Data at Aarhus University, ViCCA @ Aalto ARTS, and an AI entity that explores museum collections. A new environmental responsibility program aligns with Helsinki's goal to be carbon-free by 2030.