Institut Français de Finlande

Event Introduction

Note: The entrance to the institute is through the large gateway which leads to the inner courtyard. Upon reaching the inner courtyard, use elevator number 4 on the left and ascend to the 4th floor. You do not need to use the entry phone when arriving.

Pascal Lièvre (FR) – Dreaming the dark in Finland (in memory of Marja-Terttu Kivirinta)

Dreaming the Dark in Finland is a video that pays tribute to the first Finnish feminists, who were born in the 19th century. The artist attempts to translate theoretical and/or activist bodies of work into visual art, as he has been doing for many years, by addressing the issue of the visibility and invisibility of feminism throughout history. He considers these 41 feminists to be the ancestors of Western feminism, which took shape at the beginning of the 20th century with the election of 19 women to the Finnish parliament in 1907. For the first time, Western women were present in parliament, paving the way for all other women in the field of political representation. 

Pascal Lièvre
“I am a queer feminist man who appeared on the contemporary art scene in the 2000s with a practice of videos and performances based on covers mixing popular music and political texts and re-enactments of historical performances by queer artists and/or those assigned female at birth. Focusing on the performativity of gender and sex, my work quickly began to explore feminist, queer, and philosophical bodies of work with the aim of questioning the place of archives, memory, and transmission in communities’ struggles for their rights.”

Simo Puintila & Kaisu Savola (FI) – Hidden Statements – Messages Cachés

Since the 19th century, every era has had its own influential “hero designers” and “starchitects” who, through their work and words, have defined the ideals of the built environment. Hidden Statements – Messages Cachés is a participatory work that invites visitors to explore quotations from renowned French and Finnish architects, designers, and cultural figures. Yet, when brought into the spotlight, these statements reveal difficult questions between the lines: Who gets to decide how and from what perspectives our living environment is designed? Whose voices remain unheard, and which viewpoints go unexamined? 

Simo Puintila is an industrial designer by background. He works as a lecturer at the Department of Design at Aalto University and also carries out design projects through his own design studio. 

Kaisu Savola (D.Sc. Tech.) is a design historian and curator. She has also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Design at Aalto University. 

The work Hidden Statements – Messages Cachés originally emerged as part of the Creative Practices initiative at Aalto University’s Department of Design, and the team members have received support for the project from the Department. However, the project is not connected to Aalto University’s produced content such as teaching or research, but is an independent artistic project by the authors. 

Opening Hours:

6.1: 11:00–22:00
7.1: 11:00–22:00
8.1: 11:00–22:00 (Panel discussion on the reflections of first-wave feminism in the present day 17:30–19:00)
9.1: 10:00–22:00
10.1: 10:00–22:00
11.1: 17:00–22:00

The works will be visible after the festival until 24.2. within the institute’s normal opening hours:
Tue–Wed: 11:00–19:00
Thu: 11:00–15:00
Fri: 10:00–16:00
Sat: 10:00–14:00

Panel Discussion: The Legacy of First-Wave Feminism in Finland
Thursday 8 Jan 2026, 17:30–19:00
What is the concrete legacy of the first Finnish feminists, and how does it link to contemporary feminism? Furthermore, what role can art play in promoting equality? These questions will be explored by four experts in a discussion organized by the Institut français de Finlande.

Speakers:
Oona Foster, Advocacy Expert, The National Council of Women in Finland
Pascal Lièvre, Artist
Tuuli Hongisto, The Feminist Association Unioni
Juha Seppä, Miehet ry (Men’s Association)

The discussion will be held in English. Free admission with a seat reservation.

In co-operation with:

Institut français de Finlande

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