Nuoret 2026 (Young Artists) exhibition will present the latest art by artists under the age of 35 at Kunsthalle Helsinki in the summer of 2026. Photographic artist Aapo Huhta will chair the jury, which will make the selections based on an open call that will open in August. The Artists' Association of Finland is responsible for organizing the open call.
Artists for the Nuoret 2026 (Young Artist) exhibition will be selected through an open call. The artists will be selected by a three-member jury consisting of visual artists and a representative of the Kunsthalle Helsinki.
The Artists' Association of Finland has chosen photographic artist Aapo Huhta as the chair of the jury for the Nuoret 2026 exhibition. Huhta (b. 1985), works in Helsinki and was awarded the Young Artist of the Year award 2020 in Finland. Huhta, Master of Arts from Aalto University, has had his works exhibited at, among others, the Stockholm Fotografiska, the Tampere Art Museum and Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova.
The other members of the jury are visual artist Emma Luukkala (b. 1992) and, representing the Kunsthalle Helsinki, Director Nina Toppila.
Chair Aapo Huhta is interested in seeing how our time is reflected in the works of young artists.
- The societal discussion has become remarkably monotonous over the past few years, and often the loudest arguments drown out the others. In that debate, culture is often seen only from the perspective of economics or profit. I believe that many of us long for a different kind of debate and different values: space, sensitivity, contradictions and critical thinking – all that art often contains. I hope that the exhibition offers space for those ideas that are left behind elsewhere and, on the other hand, would also open up the possibility for ideas that we do not yet realize we are missing, Huhta says.
Open call begins in August
The open call for entries for the Nuoret 2026 exhibition opens on August 25 and closes on September 15, 2025. More information about applying will be published in August on the website of Artists' Association of Finland.
The Artists' Association of Finland is responsible for organizing the open call, after which the Kunsthalle Helsinki will take over responsibility for the production of the exhibition. The Artists' Association has been responsible for organizing the Nuoret (Young Artists) exhibition in the 2000s, but this time the role of the Artists' Association is smaller than before due to cuts made to cultural budget.
- Even in the challenging economic situation, the Artists' Association of Finland and the Kunsthalle Helsinki have wanted to hold on to the Nuoret (Young Artists) exhibition, which has continued for almost a hundred years and has brought interesting young visual artists and works of art to the Finnish visual arts scene, exhibition after exhibition. In recent years, the exhibition has also served as a testing ground for cultural politicy initiatives, such as exhibition fees and employing visual artists. This time too, we consider it important that the exhibition follows fair practices for visual artists. I am already looking forward to the views of the next generation of artists, says Annukka Vähäsöyrinki, Director of Artists' Association of Finland.
The open call process is open for artists and groups of artists who are either Finnish or who live and work in Finland. Applicants must be under the age of 35 at the end of the exhibition on 26 July 2026 (i.e. born on or after 27 July 1991). We invite applicants of all genders and linguistic, cultural and other minorities.
The Nuoret 2026 (Young Artist) exhibition will open at the Kunsthalle Helsinki on 30 May 2026.
