In the E75 Art Bus project, artists, art, and audiences come together in a unique way as part of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme.
Nine multidisciplinary artists are now preparing their artworks for the E75 Art Bus, a trans-European art journey. The international group, selected through an open call, will spend two months in artist residencies in Norway, Finland, Poland, Slovakia, and Greece along the European Route E75 during 2025.
The public will experience the resulting artworks during a six-week bus tour from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea in April-May 2026. The E75 Art Bus is one of the major projects of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture year, embodying the European dimension through artistic collaboration.
The project invited works that address themes uniting Europe – such as democracy and the conditions for peace – but also the technologies and history of travel and communication.
The selected artists are: Balbina Bochuzynska (PL), Sjors Hoogerdijk (FI/NL), Tianjun Li (CN/FI), Saara Kumpulainen (FI), Sunčica Pasuljević Kandić (RS), Polena Kolia Petersen (GR/DK), Eeva-Liisa Puhakka (FI/DE), Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen (FI), and Yu-Hsuan Yao (TW/FI). Read more about the artists.
The project showcases a wide variety of contemporary and cross-disciplinary art forms, with a strong emphasis on interactive and experimental approaches. Many of the works are participatory and will only reach their final form during the journey itself. The selected artists represent cultural diversity and include international artists based in Finland. Many of them are already recognized internationally.
The most renowned artist in the group is Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen, a professor of multidisciplinary art who represented Finland at the Venice Biennale last year. Her work explores structural violence, human rights, and the design practices that perpetuate the low status of disability. She is currently building kites on the windy shores of the Arctic Ocean in Vardø, Norway.
“I fell in love with the Norwegian phrase rolig vind – joyful wind – which constantly changes direction. When moving from one margin to another, you realise that distances are not about geography but about the politics of perception. Vadsø and Vardø are culturally vibrant places, and people here know there are no edges to the world,” says Wallinheimo-Heimonen.
The project aims to create new connections – both geographical and mental.
“The eastern positioning of the route is reflected in themes that recognize the uncertain geopolitical situation in nearby regions,” says Timo Soppela, director of Artists’ Association MUU ry, who chaired the selection panel.
During the spring, the public will get to know the artists and their work through social media channels. During the actual art journey in 2026, events will be livestreamed from the bus and from stops along the route. A limited number of tickets will also be sold to adventurous art lovers. Participation details will be announced at a later date.
The E75 Art Bus is an artistic exploration of the E75 route through Europe. The European Route E75 stretches 5,639 kilometers, starting in Vardø, Norway, and ending in Siteía, Greece. The project is a collaboration between the Northern Finland cultural magazine Kaltio, and MUU ry, a national Finnish artists’ association.
Residency partners include: Pikene på Broen (Kirkenes), Finnmark County Guest Studio (Vadsø), and New Artist Residency (Vardø) in Norway, KulttuuriKauppila Art Centre (Ii) and Haihatus Art Centre (Joutsa) in Finland, Instytut B61 and Toruńska Agenda Kulturalna (Toruń) in Poland, Mály Berlín (Trnava) in Slovakia, and Metaxoto (Chania) in Greece. Read more about the residencies.
For more information, please contact:
producer Taina Kulmala, E75 Art Bus project, producer@muu.fi, +358405829143
director Timo Soppela, MUU ry, director@muu.fi
editor-in-chief Paavo J. Heinonen, Kaltio, paavo.heinonen@kaltio.fi
