Venice Art Biennale 2026 exhibition to Oulu – Open call for the exhibition at the Finnish Pavilion now open
The European Capital of Culture Oulu2026 is involved in organising the exhibition at the Finnish Pavilion at 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2026, and the exhibition will also be shown in Oulu as part of the programme of the Oulu2026 Capital of Culture year. Frame Contemporary Art Finland invites proposals for the Pavilion of Finland.
Frame Contemporary Art Finland is seeking compelling project proposals for the Aalto Pavilion of Finland, located in the Giardini venue at the Venice Biennale. Frame is looking forward to a wide range of concise exhibition proposals that take into consideration the scale of the Pavilion space and the timeline: the project will be presented as an exhibition at the Pavilion of Finland from April to November 2026 and in Oulu, depending on the work, at a separately agreed date.
“The exhibition at the Art Biennale is part of the European Capital of Culture Oulu2026 programme. We welcome plenty of exhibition proposals from artists in the Oulu2026 area. By bringing the exhibition from Venice to Oulu, we want to offer the residents of our region a wonderful addition to the Oulu2026 programme,” says Ulla Viskari-Perttu, Executive Producer of Visual Arts at the Oulu Cultural Foundation, who is responsible for the Capital of Culture year.
The call is two-phased. The proposals can be submitted between 4 June and 18 August 2024. After assessment, the jury will invite a maximum of 5 applicants to develop their proposals further. The selected project for the Pavilion of Finland at the Venice Biennale 2026 will be published in early 2025.
The jury consists of Anna-Riikka Hirvonen, Director of Audience Outat Oulu Art Museum, Outi Pieski, artist, Charles Esche, Director, Van Abbemuseum, Netherlands, Asrin Haidari, Curator of Nordic Art, Moderna Museet, Sweden, and chaired by Juha Huuskonen, Director (1 August 2024–), Frame Contemporary Art Finland.
The exhibition in the Pavilion of Finland is commissioned and produced by Frame Contemporary Art Finland. Venice Biennale, founded in 1895 and held biannually, is the oldest and one of the most prestigious international forums for presenting contemporary art. Commissioning and producing the exhibition for the Aalto Pavilion of Finland, designed by architect Alvar Aalto in 1956, is Frame’s most extensive international project. Read more about the Venice Biennale. The Venice Art Biennale attracts approximately 800,000 visitors.
“The Venice Art Biennale is the most important international meeting place and art exhibition for contemporary art. Oulu2026 will be visible at the opening ceremony of the Biennale and for more than six months in the Finnish pavilion. We want to reach and attract biennale visitors and their networks to Oulu,” Viskari-Perttu says.
Oulu will be the European Capital of Culture in 2026. The cultural programme is being prepared by both the Oulu Cultural Foundation and hundreds of actors. Every day of the year, the European Capital of Culture programme is offered.
Application materials and additional information have been published on Frame’s website.
Finland’s Aalto Pavilion in the Giardini exhibition area of the Venice Biennale. Photo: Ugo Carmeni.
Frame Contemporary Art Finland
The exhibition in the Pavilion of Finland is commissioned and produced by Frame Contemporary Art Finland. Frame, an advocate for Finnish contemporary art, supports international initiatives, facilitates professional partnerships, and encourages critical development of the field through grants, visitor programme and residencies, seminars and talks, exhibition collaborations and network platforms.