HELSINKI.- The third edition of Helsinki Biennial, Shelter: Below and beyond, becoming and belonging, opens to the public on June 8 with 57 artworks unveiled across the city. Set against the backdrop of Helsinki’s maritime position, the biennial unfolds across the unique natural landscape of Vallisaari Island, as well as the mainland’s HAM Helsinki Art Museum and for the first time, Esplanade Park—the green heart of Helsinki.

Curated by Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen, the biennial’s central theme of Shelter encourages a shift away from human-centric perspectives and instead invites artists to foreground non-human actors—such as plants, animals, fungi and minerals—as protagonists in their works. By considering alternative perspectives, the biennial reimagines humanity’s relationship with nature to inspire climate optimism and positive environmental action.

Featuring new commissions and site-specific works, just under half of the exhibits are previously unseen and make their debut in Helsinki. The 2025 biennial features 37 Finnish and international artists, from Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia, placing particular emphasis on artists from the wider Nordic region as well as aiming to incorporate the worldviews of Indigenous representatives.

Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen, curators of the Helsinki Biennial 2025, say: “The Helsinki Biennial is a shared space of co-inhabiting and of care. As curators, we sought to step away from human-centered thinking, instead engaging with more-than-human memories, intelligences, and sensibilities. In this spirit, even Vallisaari Island, one of our main sites, is a protagonist in this edition; with the biennial aiming to reflect its rhythms and honor the non-human protagonists that have long inhabited it. This biennial is the result of a collective effort, and we are deeply grateful to the many hands, minds, and hearts that have brought it to life.”

Arja Miller, director of HAM Helsinki Art Museum, says: “The Helsinki Biennial is defined by a profound connection between nature, art and the maritime city, setting it apart within the global biennial circuit. With Vallisaari’s untamed landscapes and the central vibrancy of Esplanade Park as two of our three stages, we invite contemporary art to unfold and transform in the open air. This is not just an art event—it’s a dialogue between art, the city and its inhabitants, and nature. Each biennial edition leaves behind a lasting legacy in the form of public artworks, enriching Helsinki’s cultural landscape and offering inspiring and memorable art experiences to both residents and visitors long after the biennial ends.”

The artists and collectives of Helsinki Biennial 2025 are Maria Thereza Alves (Brazil/Germany), Band of Weeds (Finland), Ana Teresa Barboza (Peru), Sissel M Bergh (Sápmi/Norway), Sara Bjarland (Finland/Netherlands), Saskia Calderón (Ecuador), Edgar Calel (Guatemala), Tania Candiani (Mexico), Regina de Miguel (Spain/Germany), Olafur Eliasson (Denmark/Iceland), Carola Grahn (Saepmie/Sweden), Tue Greenfort (Denmark), Kalle Hamm (Finland) & Dzamil Kamanger (Iran/Finland), Tamara Henderson (Canada/Australia), Gunzi Holmström (Finland), Katie Holten (Ireland/US), Ingela Ihrman (Sweden), Geraldine Javier (Philippines), Aluaiy Kaumakan (Taiwan), Kristiina Koskentola (Finland/Netherlands), Yayoi Kusama (Japan), Jenni Laiti (Finland/Sweden) & Carl-Johan Utsi (Sweden), LOCUS / Thale Blix Fastvold & Tanja Thorjussen (Norway), nabbteeri (Finland), Ernesto Neto (Brazil), Otobong Nkanga (Nigeria/Belgium), Giuseppe Penone (Italy), Laura Põld (Estonia/Austria), Marjetica Potrč (Slovenia), Kati Roover (Estonia/Finland), Hans Rosenström (Finland), Paul Rosero Contreras (Ecuador), Raimo Saarinen (Finland), Pia Sirén (Finland), Theresa Traore Dahlberg (Sweden/Burkina Faso), Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas (Lithuania/US) and Juan Zamora (Spain).

Throughout the summer, a programme of free events, performances, and workshops will accompany the biennial. Highlights include Learning to be Better Lovers (Forest School) by Katie Holten. Guided by experts, participants are invited on forest walks through Vallisaari, where they’ll be introduced to the island’s natural environment and learn how to observe it more attentively. On 8 June and 28 August, Baltic Sea Day, LOCUS will present two public performances in relation to their new commission, Zostera Marina’s Song of Increase, a work dedicated to a type of seagrass native to the Baltic Sea. These site-specific performances, held at the pond where the artwork is located, will serve as tribute to this vital marine species.