[The event will be organised in Finnish]
Water is a prerequisite for life and a foundation of our wellbeing. It connects us to nature, society, and each other, sustaining humans and other species. It is our responsibility to take care of water.
But what is sense of water? How does it shape our relationships with water, and how do we encounter and act with water in different environments?
These questions have been explored in the Unfolding Sense of Water: Care across boundaries -research project incorporating art and science. The foundational idea of the project is that we must develop a deeper understanding and respect for the nature of water in order to live with it in a careful relationship under changing conditions. This transdisciplinary project has been carried out in collaboration between researchers from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), and Aalto University.
The artistic outcome of the project is the Sense of Water exhibition, presented at the Fiskars Art & Design Biennale from 7 June to 30 August 2026.
The exhibition is curated by researcher and artist Riikka Latva-Somppi. It features 14 works that examine our relationship with water, related practices, and their impacts on aquatic environments and underwater life. As a part of the exhibition the Sense of Water Laboratory invites visitors to reflect on their personal relationship with water through small writing tasks and painting.
Programme
–Welcome remarks: Katriina Soini, Project Leader, Natural Resources Institute Finland
–Curatorial tour: Observations and discussion of the works from the perspective of dialogue between science and art
Riikka Latva-Somppi, project researchers and artists
–Closing remarks: (TBA)
Address: The Old Granary, Fiskarsintie 333, 10470 Fiskars