Exhibitions

We organise two exhibitions as a part of the Conference. The exhibitions are on display on November 19.-20.2026.

Exhibition of unfinished handicrafts (Aurora B-lobby)

Was knitting a heel too challenging, did you run out of thread while sewing or did the glue stick dry before you could finish your craft? Did you lose your motivation or just forgot to finish your craft because of your hectic life? Bring your handicraft to our exhibition!

We organise an exhibition of unfinished handicrafts as a part of the 2026 Finnish Gender Studies Conference. If you have a handicraft that for some reason has been left unfinished, you can bring it with you to be included in the exhibition. For example, the handicraft can be an unfinished knitting, sewing work, painting, piece of jewellery, pottery, papercraft or some other unfinished project that you can pack easily with you in your bag.

At the event, please bring your work to the info station. You will be provided a label where you can write a short description of what the work is going to be (or was intended to be) and for example why it was left unfinished. You can present your work anonymously, with your own name, or a stage name. Please note that there is no security present at the exhibition space. Remember to collect your work after the conference!

Thank you for participating in the exhibition!

Ani Ivanainen: Queer birds perched on branches of tradition – the Karelian community and tradition as coloured by the rainbow (Carelia Lobby)

Queer birds perched on branches of tradition -exhibition portrays queer Karelians and how their heritage and community stays afloat despite past and current attempts to sever the connections by society at large.

The participants of the exhibit have themselves chosen how they want to be depicted and what they want to emphasize about their Karelian identity. I have asked each participant to briefly in their own words describe what they love about their Karelian and queer identities as well as what being Karelian means to them. The message of each one of them is included throughout the exhibit as well as in the printed book form of the collection (that will be published later). I want to thank Niko Tynnyrinen from the Karelian revitalization project Karjalan elvytyshanke the bottom of my heart  for providing the Livvi-Karelian translations, your help has been irreplaceable.

I myself am a Karelian photographer, deacon, sexologist and gender studies researcher belonging to both sexual and gender minorities. My photo exhibition is from us to us. “Queer birds perched on branches of tradition” -exhibition documents and makes us Karelian queer people visible. A gift for us and also for future generations. My photo exhibition expresses and proves that our community has carried us this far and will continue to carry us in the future.