The Sirkka Arte Biennale is an art event we hold every second summer at our place in Sirkka, Kittilä, consisting of a curated art exhibition, a short residency for participating artists, and a sideshow program of live performances. The Sirkka Biennale kicked off in 2017, and since then more than 50 artists from Lapland, Southern Finland as well as international artists have been part of the project.
The fifth edition of Sirkka Biennale will take place from the 4th to the 7th of September 2025. The theme of the V Sirkka Biennale is 'The Phenomenon of Painting'. We have invited artists whose main practice revolves around the multiform practice of painting. The list of participating artists is:
Petri Ala-Maunus
Siiri Haarla
Kaija Hinkula
Hanna Kanto
Siiri Haarla
Eemil Karila
Aaron Aryadharma Matheson
Elina Merenmies
Eeva Peura
Harri Puro
Raisa Raekallio
Sirkku Rosi
Kati Ruohomäki
Alina Sinivaara
Camilla Vuorenmaa
In addition to the artists, this year we will have with us three art experts to contribute to the Coversationa and to the event: Chief Curator of Collections at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Saara Hacklin, Art Critic Sanna Lipponen, and Senior Director of Galerie Eigen + Art Berlin/Leipzig, Christian Ehrentraut.
Music performances by: Tapani Rinne, Juho Kanervo, DJ Hulluella and Rovaniemi-based singer-songwriter Pekka Kumppulainen, who will present his newly musicalised poems by Timo K. Mukka.
In 2025, the V Sirkka Biennale will extend its exhibition grounds to Särestöniemen-museo in Kaukonen, Galleria Raekallio, Pöntsö, and pop-up space Pohjoisseinä in Utsuvaara, Levi. The event is kindly supported by Finnish Cultural Foundation, Lapland Fund.
The Sirkka Arte Biennale is an artistic event designed to bring people together in a supportive environment of creativity, reflection, amusement and rest. The art event -the art exhibition and the live performances program- continues to be free of charge and open to the community.
Petri Ala-Maunus
Siiri Haarla
Kaija Hinkula
Hanna Kanto
Siiri Haarla
Eemil Karila
Aaron Aryadharma Matheson
Elina Merenmies
Eeva Peura
Harri Puro
Raisa Raekallio
Sirkku Rosi
Kati Ruohomäki
Alina Sinivaara
Camilla Vuorenmaa
In addition to the artists, this year we will have with us three art experts to contribute to the Coversationa and to the event: Chief Curator of Collections at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Saara Hacklin, Art Critic Sanna Lipponen, and Senior Director of Galerie Eigen + Art Berlin/Leipzig, Christian Ehrentraut.
Music performances by: Tapani Rinne, Juho Kanervo, DJ Hulluella and Rovaniemi-based singer-songwriter Pekka Kumppulainen, who will present his newly musicalised poems by Timo K. Mukka.
In 2025, the V Sirkka Biennale will extend its exhibition grounds to Särestöniemen-museo in Kaukonen, Galleria Raekallio, Pöntsö, and pop-up space Pohjoisseinä in Utsuvaara, Levi. The event is kindly supported by Finnish Cultural Foundation, Lapland Fund.
The Sirkka Arte Biennale is an artistic event designed to bring people together in a supportive environment of creativity, reflection, amusement and rest. The art event -the art exhibition and the live performances program- continues to be free of charge and open to the community.
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The following article by Misha del Val for our local art mag Staalo lehti
presents the story of the Sirkka Biennale from its inception until its present day
The following article by Misha del Val for our local art mag Staalo lehti
presents the story of the Sirkka Biennale from its inception until its present day
IV Sirkka Arte Biennale, from 12th to 16th of June 2023, Sirkka, Kittilä, Finland.
The Sirkka Arte Biennale is an art event held every second summer at artists Raisa Raekallio’s and Misha del Val’s property in Sirkka, Kittilä, consisting of a curated art exhibition and a sideshow program of live performances. In 2023, we presented the Sirkka Biennale for the forth time from 12th to 16th of June. The art exhibition presented the work of 14 artists from Lapland, Southern Finland as well as international artists.
Viljami Heinonen (FI)
Roope Itälinna (FI)
Eemil Karila (FI)
Savu E. Korteniemi (FI)
Pauliina Turakka Purhonen (FI)
Artist duo Lyngsø-Light (DK)
Monica Levy (Berlin/Australia)
Solveig Ovanger (NO)
Reijo Raekallio (FI)
Sabine Chapoulaud (FR / FI)
Mikko Paakkola (FI)
Aarno Rankka (FI)
Jyrki Riekki (FI)
Music performances by:
Joonas Hauveli (FI)
Pekka Kumpulainen (FI)
Maaemo, Lola Cervantes (Mexico / FI) & Minna Siitonen (FI)
The event is curated and put together by artist/curator Misha del Val.
The focus of the art event, in addition to the presentation of high quality art, is to foster dialogue and linkage between the participating artists -and between the artists and the community- in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere. The Sirkka Biennale intends to create and tighten relations between artists in Lapland and elsewhere; and provide opportunities for the artists to appreciate the region and establish connections with Lapland (Tunturi-Lappi).
In 2023, Misha del Val invited 14 artists from Finland and abroad, working in a broad range of artistic practices (painting, installation, cooking, textiles, drawing) to be part of the IV Sirkka Arte Biennale. Their artworks were installed, as in previous editions, across the different spaces at our property: our 100 year-old wooden barn aitta-studio -which holds the main part of the exhibition-, the main house, the mökki, the puuvarasto and throughout the yard outside. The exhibition space also includes a long-derelict Toyota Baleno entirely painted black, serving as a video-watching cubicle. In addition, due to the high number of participating artists, the Biennale extended to the premises of Galleria Raekallio in Pöntsö.
Participating artists are invited to stay at our property for the whole, or during part, of the art festival's week-long period. Artists are provided with food and accommodation. Our property is located in a 6000 square meters pocketed area surrounded by forest and crossed by the Häperöjoki, less than 2 kms. from the shops and commodities of Levi centre.
The Arte Biennale includes a kuraattorikierros, a guided tour in which the curator heartens open discussions with each of the artists on the particular work(s) on exhibition and, by extension, on the current tone of their artistic practices. The audience -mainly comprised by the artist group and a local folk- is encouraged to take part in these conversations.
The Biennale runs, in parallel with the art exhibition, an evening program of live performances. The festival included visits to Getsemane-atelier, Kalervo Palsa’s working studio and home in Kittilä, and the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä.
The Sirkka Arte Biennale is an artistic event designed to bring people together in a supportive environment of creativity, reflection, amusement and rest. The event -the art exhibition and the live performances program- is free and open to the community.
This project was supported in 2023 by Taike - Arts Promotion Centre Finland through a HAMA initiative, and Kittilä Municipality.
Viljami Heinonen (FI)
Roope Itälinna (FI)
Eemil Karila (FI)
Savu E. Korteniemi (FI)
Pauliina Turakka Purhonen (FI)
Artist duo Lyngsø-Light (DK)
Monica Levy (Berlin/Australia)
Solveig Ovanger (NO)
Reijo Raekallio (FI)
Sabine Chapoulaud (FR / FI)
Mikko Paakkola (FI)
Aarno Rankka (FI)
Jyrki Riekki (FI)
Music performances by:
Joonas Hauveli (FI)
Pekka Kumpulainen (FI)
Maaemo, Lola Cervantes (Mexico / FI) & Minna Siitonen (FI)
The event is curated and put together by artist/curator Misha del Val.
The focus of the art event, in addition to the presentation of high quality art, is to foster dialogue and linkage between the participating artists -and between the artists and the community- in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere. The Sirkka Biennale intends to create and tighten relations between artists in Lapland and elsewhere; and provide opportunities for the artists to appreciate the region and establish connections with Lapland (Tunturi-Lappi).
In 2023, Misha del Val invited 14 artists from Finland and abroad, working in a broad range of artistic practices (painting, installation, cooking, textiles, drawing) to be part of the IV Sirkka Arte Biennale. Their artworks were installed, as in previous editions, across the different spaces at our property: our 100 year-old wooden barn aitta-studio -which holds the main part of the exhibition-, the main house, the mökki, the puuvarasto and throughout the yard outside. The exhibition space also includes a long-derelict Toyota Baleno entirely painted black, serving as a video-watching cubicle. In addition, due to the high number of participating artists, the Biennale extended to the premises of Galleria Raekallio in Pöntsö.
Participating artists are invited to stay at our property for the whole, or during part, of the art festival's week-long period. Artists are provided with food and accommodation. Our property is located in a 6000 square meters pocketed area surrounded by forest and crossed by the Häperöjoki, less than 2 kms. from the shops and commodities of Levi centre.
The Arte Biennale includes a kuraattorikierros, a guided tour in which the curator heartens open discussions with each of the artists on the particular work(s) on exhibition and, by extension, on the current tone of their artistic practices. The audience -mainly comprised by the artist group and a local folk- is encouraged to take part in these conversations.
The Biennale runs, in parallel with the art exhibition, an evening program of live performances. The festival included visits to Getsemane-atelier, Kalervo Palsa’s working studio and home in Kittilä, and the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä.
The Sirkka Arte Biennale is an artistic event designed to bring people together in a supportive environment of creativity, reflection, amusement and rest. The event -the art exhibition and the live performances program- is free and open to the community.
This project was supported in 2023 by Taike - Arts Promotion Centre Finland through a HAMA initiative, and Kittilä Municipality.
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The Sirkka Arte Biennale is an art event held every second summer at artists Raisa Raekallio’s and Misha del Val’s property in Sirkka, Kittilä, consisting of a curated art exhibition and a sideshow program of live performances. In 2021 we presented the Sirkka Biennale for the third time from 16th to 23rd of June 2021. The art exhibition presented the work of 12 artists from Lapland, Southern Finland as well as international artists.
Aryadharma Aaron Matheson (Sydney, Australia)
Camilla Vuorenmaa (Helsinki, FI)
Hannalenna Heiska (Helsinki, FI)
Kati Ruohomäki (Helsinki, FI)
Maria Huhmarniemi (Rovaniemi, FI)
Katja Juhola (Mustio, FI)
Leonor Ruiz Dubrovin (Helsinki / Pontevedra, Spain)
Meeri Koutaniemi (Helsinki, FI)
Raisa Raekallio (Sirkka, FI)
Samugan Sivanesan (Sydney, AU /Berlin, GE)
Tanja Koistinen (Äkäslompolo, FI)
Touko Hujanen (Helsinki, FI)
The event is curated and put together by artist/curator Misha del Val.
The focus of the art event, in addition to the presentation of high quality art, is to foster dialogue and linkage between the participating artists -and between the artists and the community- in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere. The Sirkka Biennale intends to create and tighten relations between artists in Lapland and elsewhere; and provide opportunities for the artists to appreciate the region and establish connections with Lapland.
In 2021, Misha del Val invited 12 artists from Finland and abroad from a broad range of artistic practices (painting, installation, photography, drawing, video) to be part of the III Sirkka Arte Biennale. Their artworks were installed, as in previous editions, across the different spaces at our property: our 100 year-old wooden barn aitta-studio -which holds the main part of the exhibition-, the main house, the mökki, the puuvarasto and throughout the yard outside. The exhibition space also includes a long-derelict Toyota Baleno entirely painted black, serving as a video-watching cubicle. Participating artists are invited to stay at our property for the whole, or during part, of the art festival's eight days. Artists are provided with food and accommodation. Our property is located in a 6000 square meters pocketed area surrounded by forest and crossed by the Häperöjoki, less than 2 kms. from the shops and commodities of Levi centre.
The Arte Biennale includes a kuraattorikierros, a guided tour in which the curator heartens open discussions with each of the artists on the particular work(s) on exhibition and, by extension, on the current tone of their artistic practices. The audience -mainly comprised by the artist group and a local folk- is encouraged to take part in these conversations. In past editions of the Biennale, the tour and ensuing discussions have revealed many anecdotes and behind the scenes insights and given rise to a great deal of interest.
The Biennale runs, in parallel with the art exhibition, an evening program of live performances.
From Sirkka, an outing is organised to take participant artists to visit Getsemane, artist Kalervo Palsa's atelier in Kittilä, and to spend an evening at the Sodankylä Film Festival.
The Sirkka Arte Biennale is an artistic event designed to bring people together in a supportive environment of creativity, reflection, amusement and rest. The art event -the art exhibition and the live performances program- is free and open to the community.
More pictures by Juha Tolonen here.
This project was supported in 2021 by Taike - Arts Promotion Centre Finland
