Fotografiska Tallinn Opens a Major Exhibition in the European Capital of Culture Oulu

This year, the Finnish city of Oulu holds the title of European Capital of Culture, focusing on the theme of cultural climate change. The Oulu2026 programme brings together a wide range of international art and creative projects, including the major exhibition PLAY by Fotografiska Tallinn, created specifically for the European Capital of Culture year and marking Fotografiska Tallinn’s first exhibition in Finland.
 

From 14 January until the end of the year, visitors in Oulu can experience Fotografiska Tallinn’s group exhibition PLAY, presenting works by 18 international artists. The exhibition explores play as an attitude toward life – a way to find joy, resilience, rebellion, and connection in a world in constant change. The works form a multidisciplinary journey through play, approaching it both as a source of joy and distraction, as well as a deeply human form of expression and a non-verbal language.

The exhibition brings together international artists including Martin Parr, Cristina de Middel, Susan Meiselas, Roger Ballen, Bruce Davidson, Nina Katchadourian, and Pelle Cass, alongside Jouko Lehtola, Trent Parke, Sage Sohier, Christopher Herwig, Karolina Wojtas, Niccolo Rastelli, Deanna Dikeman, Joosep Kivimäe, Mathias Väärsi, and Louis-Philippe Rondeau. Sound design for the exhibition has been composed by musician Erki Pärnoja.

PLAY is curated by Fotografiska Tallinn’s Brand and Artistic Director Jorven Viilik, who describes the exhibition as an exploration of playfulness and an essential way of perceiving life. “Play is a different way of being present – it reflects the space we allow ourselves and the permission to explore and experiment, regardless of age,” says Viilik, highlighting the importance of play in the physical world at a time when play for adults has increasingly become taboo, tightly regulated, or fully digitalised.

Created specifically for the European Capital of Culture programme, the exhibition draws inspiration from Oulu2026’s overarching theme of cultural climate change. It invites audiences to look beyond the everyday, form deeper connections, and imagine futures rooted in creativity and community. The exhibition aims to reconnect people with spontaneous, unplanned forms of play, opening up a space for visitors to reflect on whether – and how – play still exists in their own lives.

“Face-to-face interaction creates space for adaptation, mutual trust, and genuine encounters, even as the world around us continually changes the rules of the game. Our intention was to create an art experience that encourages people to notice the potential for play around them and allow this way of thinking to re-emerge,” Viilik adds.

The exhibition opening as part of Oulu2026 marks Fotografiska Tallinn’s first exhibition in Finland. “From the very beginning, Fotografiska Tallinn has had a strong regional presence, and it feels meaningful to bring this exhibition directly to Finnish audiences. It is part of our broader way of thinking regionally – for example, this year we are launching an annual Emerging Artists exhibition, offering a platform to artists at the beginning of their creative journeys and strengthening collaboration across the region,” says Margit Aasmäe, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Fotografiska Tallinn.

The group exhibition PLAY, part of the European Capital of Culture programme, opens on 14 January at the Pekuri shopping quarter and will remain on view until 31 December 2026. After the conclusion of Oulu’s Capital of Culture year, the exhibition will travel to Fotografiska Tallinn.

Further information about the exhibition is available on the Fotografiska and Oulu2026 websites.