The OAF x Espoo opening takes place at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art on Friday, 21 August, from 3 to 7 pm. The free afternoon at Exhibition Centre WeeGee brings together a discussion on inclusive curating, awards, art performances, sensory-friendly guided tours and works from the TOIVO art project.
Awards and encounters
The day begins with OAF Hope Talks, a discussion on inclusive curating moderated by OAF Executive Director Heini Merkkiniemi. The opening ceremony features celebratory speeches, the opening of Länsimetro’s TOIVO exhibition and flowers presented to the artists.
The ceremony will present the OAF Prize, honorable mentions and the 2026 Vimma Prize, awarded by Kynnys ry and the Tukilinja Foundation. The Vimma Prize will be presented by Jenni Haukio, Director of Public Affairs and Responsibility at WSOY.
The Vimma Prize recognizes artistic activities, works or events that raise public awareness and foster positive discussion of disability and functional limitations.
Karaoke videos on LaserDisc
VHS Klubi’s Laserlevyraati turns the LUOVA space into a simulated television studio screening karaoke videos from the 1990s on LaserDisc. The jury features film artist Mika Taanila, rapper Mika “MC Cepa” Leminen and a guest from EMMA. The program is also part of the Espoo Ciné film festival.
At the same time, AITIO hosts Toivon kohtaamisia (Encounters of Hope), a collection of works that visitors can freely experience and participate in. What gives you hope? The facilitators are OAF curators Fri Nilas Lindell and Maija Karhunen. Two sensory-friendly public tours will also explore the exhibition In Search of the Present: On Rootlessness. The afternoon concludes with a concert by Aizhan Sultan.
Kazakh traditions meet live electronics
Originally from Kazakhstan and now based in Finland, Aizhan Sultan is a singer, songwriter and doctoral researcher. Her work focuses on the decolonization of Central Asia and radical inclusion. As a woman living with achondroplasia, Sultan has first-hand insight into power as a tool of oppression, as well as into solidarity and art as liberating forces.
Sultan’s compositions draw on the history and traditions of nomadic culture, bringing together traditional and contemporary Kazakh music. At her EMMA concert, traditional Kazakh vocal improvisation, throat singing and the sound of the shanqobyz, or jaw harp, meet Saku Liimatainen’s live electronics. The electronic elements bring a modern Finnish sound into Kazakh nomadic tradition.
Schedule
- 3–3.30 pm · AITIO: OAF Hope Talks: a discussion on inclusive curating, moderated by Heini Merkkiniemi, OAF.
- 3.30–4.30 pm · AITIO: Opening ceremony with celebratory speeches, the opening of Länsimetro’s TOIVO exhibition and flowers presented to the artists. The OAF Prize, honorable mentions and the 2026 Vimma Prize from Kynnys ry and the Tukilinja Foundation will be presented. The Vimma Prize will be presented by Jenni Haukio.
- 4.30–6 pm · LUOVA: VHS Klubi’s Laserlevyraati, featuring Mika Taanila, Mika “MC Cepa” Leminen and a guest from EMMA.
- 4.30–6 pm · AITIO: Toivon kohtaamisia (Encounters of Hope), a collection of works that visitors can freely experience and participate in. What gives you hope? Facilitated by OAF curators Fri Nilas Lindell and Maija Karhunen.
- 4.30–5 pm and 5.30–6 pm: Sensory-friendly public tours of In Search of the Present: On Rootlessness, led by guides from Autism Foundation Finland, Luovi Vocational College and EMMA.
- 6–6.45 pm · AITIO: Concert by Aizhan Sultan.
Practical information
Time: Friday, 21 August 2026, 3–7 pm
Venue: EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Exhibition Centre WeeGee, Ahertajantie 5, Tapiola, Espoo
Admission: free
More information: OAF x EMMA event page
EMMA is an accessible venue. The museum’s second floor can be reached by lift, and the building has spacious, step-free corridors.
Outsider Art Festival is a partner festival of Helsinki Festival. It takes place in Helsinki and Espoo from 20 to 30 August 2026, and this year’s theme is Hope. Most events are free of charge. You can support the festival by purchasing a support ticket from the OAF ticket shop; the proceeds support the employment of people with partial work ability in the creative industries.