In a previous article, we talked about the splendid opera "Ovllà," which was performed during the opening days of Oulu 2026. Today, we want to stay within the context of events related to Sami culture to present a beautiful exhibition underway at the Oulu Art Museum, which will close in two phases: the upper floor closing on April 19th and the ground floor on May 3rd: "Eanangiella - Voice of the Land."

First of all, I would like to remind that the Sami are a people of undivided origin with their own language and culture, living in a large area called the Land of Sami. They are a minority spread across four countries: Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia.

Sami culture is transferred, from one generation to another within the family or the community, in the form of oral heritage. The Sami handcraft tradition, called "duodji" transfers tacit knowledge about culture and history from one generation to another, and from one craft maker to another. Duodji carries information on nature and natural cycles, traditional livelihoods, knowledge and customs, as well as on the actual craft skills.

The exhibition perfectly represents all this, offering a unique and multivoiced overview into Sami culture, its resilience and beauty. It features 70 artists and “duojars” from Sapmi (North Sami). Its themes focus on ancestors, between worlds, land, green colonialism and the ornaments of life.  In the exhibition visitors can experience multimedia contemporary art, art historical pieces, duodji Sami handicrafts from different generations, as well as soundscapes.

The curators are Sami artists: Inga-Wiktoria Påve, Fredrik Prost, and Áilu Valle. They say: “ This exhibition highlights the beauty and resilience of Sami culture. The culture, the Sami, languages and spirituality are still alive after 400 years of colonialism. Strong ties connect people to their own culture and, in the case of indigenous people, to their lands”.

Another beautiful exhibition is open throughout 2026 in an unexpected location, the Pekuri shopping mall: it is "Play", brought to Oulu by Fotografiska Tallinn. Fotografiska is the contemporary museum of photography, art & culture, founded in Stockholm in 2010. Beside Stockholm Fotografiska has locations in Tallinn, Berlin and Shanghai. Fotografiska Tallinn opened in 2019, being the first one outside of Stockholm. Fotografiska creates dynamic and unique exhibitions to inspire new perspectives and spark meaningful conversations through photography and contemporary art.

The exhibition, through a multidisciplinary lens of 17 international artists, explores “play” as both a source of joy and a distraction, highlighting moments of delight, resilience, rebellion and connection. Together, the works form a visual journey into play as a deeply human form of expression and a non-verbal language.

The exhibition is curated by Fotografiska Tallinn brand director Jorven Viilik. Sound design for the exhibition has been composed by musician Erki Pärnoja.

Play, shaped by modern culture, has long been treated as a distraction, a passing stage of childhood, even a taboo in adult life. Yet beneath its lightness lies an ageless and powerful mindset that shapes how we engage with the world and connect with others.

Today play flourishes in digital arenas and extends into adulthood more than ever before. At the same time, other forms are already quietly fading from view: the embodied, face-to-face, the unscripted. These are forms that sustain trust and presence, reminding us of the value in what cannot be planned. This exhibition seeks to reconnect us with unscripted play. To open a space where viewers might discover if or how it has survived in their lives and imagine how it might return in unexpected ways.

PLAY aims to reconnect us with unplanned play and open up a space where viewers can explore whether or how play has survived in their lives. It encourages visitors to imagine how play can come back into their lives in unexpected ways.

The ongoing program of Oulu 2026 is very vast and in the next few days we will dedicate our space to some other events.