OAF Talks brings the art world’s outsiders into the spotlight
OAF Talks is Outsider Art Festival’s discussion series, giving voice to the festival’s artists, curators and artistic mentors. Expect conversations and interviews spanning multiple art forms. You are warmly invited to join the discussion. During the festival, OAF Talks events will take place both on-site at festival venues and online. OAF × Runokuu Talks: Aatos […]
OAF Recommends: An Art Trip to Uusimaa region
Outsider Art Festival OAF recommends an art trip to Uusimaa region this summer! Below are the festival team’s top picks for July–August: Hyvinkää’s Middle of Nowhere ITE Art Park has just opened a new exhibition “Middle ITE vol. 2.” It brings together 29 self-taught artists and presents nearly one hundred works, including pieces by Jussi […]
OAF 2025 and Internationalization
Internationalization is an important part of Outsider Art Festival. OAF provides a platform for international cooperation and the festival has also proven to be an interesting destination for cultural travellers in Finland. Development is carried out in program and project level cooperation with a wide international network of actors and funded by the Finnish Government, […]
OAF Residency artists work-in-progress update
OAF wishes everyone happy Pride Week! Today we’ll present a work-in-progress update from our Residency artists Ton Melnyk & Masha Ravlyk regarding their work “Our Queer Family”: “The tapestry Our Queer Family was started in June 2024 with the 4 months support from OAF and Taike. We, artist and queer activists from Kyiv, Masha Ravlyk […]
OAF visual arts program explores visions of future and multi-sensory experiences
Outsider Art Festival OAF visual arts program explores what the world looks like from the perspective of an outsider artist. Two group exhibitions have been curated with a diverse range of paintings, graphics, photography, textile sculptures, installations and multi-sensory scent artworks. The Future exhibition at the Cultural Centre Caisa’s gallery examines the future from an […]
OAF Literature program explores literature outside of the established literature
Outsider Art Festival OAF’s literary program highlights new, fresh voices and explores what kind of literature can be found outside of the established literature. This year, the theme of outsider will be explored through texts that delve into life on the autism spectrum, sign language poetry, multidisciplinary poetry performances, and powerful personal monologues. The program […]
OAF Film program dives into the deep end of humanity
OAF Film program is organized in collaboration with Espoo Ciné.This year’s Film program at Outsider Art Festival draws inspiration from mythology and supernatural elements, dives into the deep end of humanity and contemplates interaction. OAF film screening venues are Kino Tapiola on Tuesday 19th of August in Espoo and Louhisali at Espoo Cultural Centre on […]
Meet the OAF team
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Outsider Art Festival (OAF). The anniversary programme is being assembled by the OAF team: Producer Arttu Partinen and Music Programme Producer Teuvo Merkkiniemi, Communications Intern Liisa Paakkanen, Festival Director Heini Merkkiniemi, Producer and Communications Coordinator Tuomas Vaahtoluoto; Production Intern Minka Yltävä. For the opening, the team is […]
The performing arts program for OAF tickles all senses
The performing arts program for Outsider Art Festival tickles all senses, opens windows to new kinds of connections and takes a stand. This year the performing arts program includes Ksenia Voy Kheninen and Zherbin, LIPGLOSSBOY, Pekka Luodeslampi, Teatteriryhmä Vautsi, Kaaos Company and Homa Shokri with working group. The venues for performing arts program are Cultural […]
Outsider Art Festival opening as part of the Night of the Arts!
The opening of OAF 2025 will be celebrated on the Night of the Arts 14.8.2025 over the old Elanto’s Leipätehdas block (bread factory) at Cultural Centre Caisa and the House of Text! On the opening weekend, Leipätehdas will be the venue for an experiential event, a collaboration between Outsider Art Festival, Cultural Centre Caisa and […]