Happy Mayday everyone!

Ómar Sverrisson "Balloon Series No 2 + No 3" (2018). Prints available in two different sizes. Signed, numbered and dated. Edition of 20 (50x40 cm) and Edition of 10 (A0 118,9 x 84,1 cm).

Ómar Sverrisson (b. 1977) is a freelance photographer and visual artist living and working in Reykjavik, Iceland. His work for 2 decades spans from film design to commercial photography for Icelandic music bands and fashion to editorial images for various newspapers and magazines in Denmark and Iceland.

Balloon Series No. 2 depicts Icelandic visual artist Snorri Ásmundsson. Snorri has a long history of politically provocative gestures in his art where he pushes the limits of public participation in democracy. Like in 2004, Ásmundsson was running for president of Iceland as an art experiment.

Omar’s portrait in Balloon Series No 3 depicts internationally recognised Icelandic poet Ármann Reynisson. Reynisson was one of the most influential pioneers on the Icelandic financial scene in the nineties before he became a full-time writer. He has now published eighteen volumes of vignettes and has introduced a new genre to Icelandic literature.

Omar Sverisson’s Balloon Series has been exhibited in Helsinki and at the touring Nordic Village expose at Pelt Fotofestival 2021 in Belgium.

Balloon Series series works belong to Omar’s ongoing project Reykjavik portraits.

http://omar.this.is/

Discover Ómar Sverrisson`s works in our Virtual Art Gallery: visit.virtualartgallery.com/helphoto-selected-darlings

#helsinkiphotofestival #limitededition #blackandwhiteportrait #blackwhitephotography #iceland ...

We keep on creating new ways to attract audiences around the world. In 2021, we initiated a limited edition print program to give Nordic artists access to sell to collectors and fine art lovers around the world. The project was supported with a cultural grant from Nordisk Kulturfond.

Since then we have signed several amazingly talented emerging artists from the Nordic scene as well as a few international gems who all have been noticed and promoted in media like The Guardian, Die Zeit, and Helsingin Sanomat among others. The catalogue includes works from Finnish emerging artists such as Svante Gullichsen and Sari Soininen. Swedish-American photographer and film director Florence Montmare to globally award-winning Estonian photographer Angelika Kollin.

To showcase this exclusive collection we have created a travelling group exhibition titled Selected Darlings which previously was exhibited at Stockholms Authionverk - the world’s oldest auction house; Finlandia Hall and West Terminal t1 in Helsinki.

Now, proudly in collaboration with Arilyn`s Virtual Art Galleries, we are presenting the whole exhibition virtually, accessible through any internet browser around the world. Prints are available framed and unframed in 2 different sizes.

https://visit.virtualartgallery.com/helphoto-selected-darlings

Our webshop has moved to https://holvi.com/shop/helphoto/

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto24 #aware #photography #helsinki #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #konst #opetus #limitededition #arilyn #virtual #newmedia @virtualartgallerycom ...

After many requests to organise educational events more often, we are now introducing a new membership program every month.

Helsinki Photo Festival is a community which has grown over the years to a well connected network of photo enthusiasts and photographers. Our Membership program provides opportunities to learn new things about photography, visit inspiring photo exhibitions, and make good lasting memories.

Our first FolioMeet (Portfolio Review) is scheduled for February 3 from 11am-2pm. The location we will confirm once we know how many have signed up. We have various suitable event partners in downtown Helsinki we can chose for ths educational event.


FolioMeet is a free, monthly portfolio review group for members. This program provides members, both emerging and established, with the opportunity to discuss their work in a casual and supportive environment with members and a guest artist, writer, curator or other professionals from the Helsinki arts community.

The review is run like a group critique: Each participant has 20 minutes to share a project and receive feedback from the reviewer and the rest of the group. Before the review, participant should prepare 5-20 images from a single body of work that is nearing completion as well as a few questions to guide discussion.

You can join our community and review our membership benefits on our website.

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto24 #aware #photography #helsinki #helsinkiart #education #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #konst #opetus ...

Winner Open Call Helsinki Photo Festival 2023. Theme: Courage.

Fernanda Soto Mastrantonio (@fsmastra), Chile. "The Cumbias We Heard Up There"

Mastrantonio met Deysi in September en route to a commission to portray fifty women from indigenous origins. That day, she drove her small rental car for hours, lost in the highlands.

“I felt deep happiness, then anxiety, fear, optimism, and resignation. I went through all the mental states until it began to get dark, and I was overcome with terror: I had been lost for so long in a maze of paths that it was impossible to even think of going back,” Mastrantonio said.

Finding Deysi was her only option. Tired and trying not to despair, she retraced her steps toward the last detour she had taken. In the distance, almost imperceptible on a hill, she saw a white dot.

It was Deysi.

Deysi is a thirty-six-year-old Aymara woman. She raises her llamas and alpacas to sell their meat and their wool, keeping alive her ancestors` values of deep respect and care for nature. Two worlds converge in her: the Western world and that of the indigenous people. These two worlds, intertwined, represent an alternative and courageous way of living.

This ongoing project is an open question: How to undertake the search for things that, in a certain way, have to do with displacing the frontiers of one`s own being into unknown territories?

Fernanda Soto Mastrantonio is a photographer based in Chile. She has a BA in Photography and Digital Creation in 2015 at Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya and an MA in Photography at the Escuela Lens in Madrid, Spain. In 2022, she was commissioned by OIM for their Todo lo Que Esta Bien campaign in Chile and by the UN Women’s Originarias campaign. In 2023, she won Portrait of Humanity vol 5 for the British Journal of Photography in the UK.

Helsinki Photo Festival (#HelPhoto) is an annual event showcasing international photography in the Greater Helsinki area. More info on artists, exhibitions and events: www.helsinkiphotofestival.com

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto23 #courage #photography #helsinki #helsinkiart #visithelsinki #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #konst #chileanphographers ...

Open Call Nordic Village. Helsinki Photo Festival 2023. Theme: Courage.

Björn Nilsson (@fodor13), Sweden. "Samtal Misslyckades"

When something changes in a relationship thoughts, feelings and fears appear. Sometimes there is a struggle. A silence. A failed conversation.

It is often through heritage, tradition and media that people are taught how a man and a woman “should be” and how they should relate to each other in a relationship. So how is the male self-image affected when the woman for instance starts to earn more money than the man? And how is the sexual relationship affected if the man suddenly is responsible for most of the domestic work?

Samtal Misslyckades (Conversation Failed) is about people who have lived together for a longer period of time. The project is partly based on the personal experiences of Björn Nilsson Fodor from various relationships, but also on the experiences of other couples that have arisen through conversations. Taking a look at power structures, gender roles and sexuality, Björn has spoken with people who, like others, are in their midlife. People and couples who are struggling with various adversities and bouts of anxiety in their everyday lives. People who love, compromise, sacrifice and fail. Is there even a possibility of understanding and reconciliation without communication?

In this project, Björn has been working with Lina Holmgren, a psychologist based in Gothenburg and an expert on the breakdown of communication. He is also working with Alex Pacheco from Crash Boom Bang Studios in Stockholm, with the design and launch of a book.

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Helsinki Photo Festival (#HelPhoto) is an annual event showcasing international photography in the Greater Helsinki area. More info on artists, exhibitions and events: www.helsinkiphotofestival.com

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto23 #courage #photography #relationships #swedishphotographer #contemporaryart #fineartphotography #photooftheday #helsinki #helsinkiart #visithelsinki #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #konst ...

Winner Open Call Nordic Village. Helsinki Photo Festival 2023. Theme: Courage.

Darina Rodionova (@daru_visuals), Finland. "Cultural Resistance. Ukrainian Artists During Wartime"

Although it is easy for art to fall by the wayside in times of war or disaster, it is the most needed thing during these times. It provides hope, comfort, and a sense of unity for those affected by tragedy. Art can also contribute to the broader social, cultural, and political shifts that ultimately shape a more peaceful world.

The project highlights this importance of art, the struggles Ukrainian artists faced and their courage that it took to continue creating in the midst of war. The Ukrainian "cultural front" during wartime is a testament to the resilience of its people. Ukrainian culture has been oppressed by the colonial policy of Russia for a long time, and it escalated with the full-scale invasion in 2022.

This topic is particularly close to the heart of Darina Rodionova, as she has family in Ukraine (Darina’s mother is from Donetsk Oblast, Donbas region), while Darina was born and raised in Russia and still feels a connection to its colonial culture. For her, it is essential to acknowledge the responsibility that comes with this connection. To Darina, this means taking action to support and amplify the voices of those most affected by colonialism and actively working towards a more just and equitable future.

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Helsinki Photo Festival (#HelPhoto) is an annual event showcasing international photography in the Greater Helsinki area. More info on artists, exhibitions and events: www.helsinkiphotofestival.com

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto23 #courage #photography #photographers #photographyexhibition #artexhibition #contemporaryart #fineartphotography #photooftheday #helsinki #helsinkiart #visithelsinki #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #kunst ...

Merci beaucoup to Polycopies book fair helping us to distribute our newest publication Helsinki Photo News! #helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto #paris #france #polycopies #seine #helsinki ...

Winner Open Call Helsinki Photo Festival 2023. Theme: Courage.

Natalya Saprunova (@natalya.saprunova), France. "Living on the Pole of Cold"

The people of Oymyakon, situated in Yakutia in Eastern Siberia and also known as the Pole of Cold, brave a distinctly continental climate, characterized by long winters with temperatures below 45° C and short summers. The place is considered the coldest permanently inhabited settlement on Earth, following the recorded negative temperatures of -71.2° C in 1924. Living on a permafrost land, the people are mainly engaged in herding cows, horses and reindeer. As there is no running water in their homes, the people have very limited access to water.

The village of Oymyakon is located on the left bank of the Indigirka River and is connected to nearby settlements such as Bereg-Yurdya and Tomtor. All of this area belongs to the Oymyakonsky District and has a population of about 2000 people. Despite having central heating, provided by hot water that is heated by coal and then runs through the pipes in the villages, the houses do not have sanitary facilities inside.

As a very isolated place, the community of Oymyakonsky District hope that the government of Yakutia will assign them a specific geo-climatic status in order to benefit from financial aid for the construction of the necessary infrastructures for everyday life and animal husbandry.

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Helsinki Photo Festival (#HelPhoto) is an annual event showcasing international photography in the Greater Helsinki area. More info on artists, exhibitions and events: www.helsinkiphotofestival.com

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto23 #courage #photography #photographers #photographyexhibition #artexhibition #contemporaryart #fineartphotography #photooftheday #helsinki #helsinkiart #visithelsinki #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #kunst ...

Winner Open Call Helsinki Photo Festival 2023. Theme: Courage.

Laara Dashti (@laaradashti), France. "Mashmul"

In 2022, a twenty-seven-year-old soldier was executed in Rasht, Iran, after being condemned for the murder of a head officer who had opposed his request for exemption from military service.

Up to twenty-four months of military service is compulsory for Iranian men aged 18-40. There are limited exemptions, but not for conscientious objection. Those men are called mashmul (مشمول), meaning liable to conscription. Until he has completed his military duties, an Iranian man is not allowed a valid passport and cannot leave the country unless granted permission. He is not allowed to register official documents to purchase a car or a home, get a housing loan from a bank, receive a government pension, or work for the government.

Many refuse to enroll because of the ideology this system represents, the freedom it takes from them, and the work conditions they face. Some take great risks and act illegally to dodge military service.
Some fail or give up and enroll to regain their freedom and build a future. Others are considered deserters, exposing themselves to criminal prosecutions, and remain unable to leave Iran.

While the subjects of this work keep their visage hidden, they are surrounded every day by the faces of dead soldiers. It is impossible to walk outside and not see them. By producing these images nationwide, the Islamic Republic has created an ideological system that prospers on glorifying martyrdom.

In this series, the anonymous portraits are contrasted with the depictions of dead soldiers erected all over the country. The images that manipulate are confronted with the ones that tell personal realities.

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Helsinki Photo Festival (#HelPhoto) is an annual event showcasing international photography in the Greater Helsinki area. More info on artists, exhibitions and events: www.helsinkiphotofestival.com

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto23 #courage #photography #photographers #photographyexhibition #artexhibition #contemporaryart #fineartphotography #photooftheday #helsinki #helsinkiart #visithelsinki #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #kunst ...

Winner Open Call Nordic Village. Helsinki Photo Festival 2023. Theme: Courage.

Aija Svensson (@aijasvensson), Finland. "Do Not Cover"

There are devastating secrets inherited and passed down through generations, buried deep within our emotional memory, that we cannot or choose not to remember. When kept in the shadows, these secrets lay the foundation for a precarious existence, leading us to accumulate our own hidden truths, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Aija Svensson`s body of work Do Not Cover illuminates the multiple layers of traumatic experiences, straddling the boundaries between past and present, and shifting perspectives from adult to child. The photographic series, featured in his photography book of the same title, weaves together a patchwork of memories both veiled and revealed.

This evocative collection comprises portraits, documentary images, archival material, and symbolic visuals hinting at elusive memories that remain uncaptured. Photographs taken on her mother`s deathbed become the catalyst for reconnecting with a past shrouded in unanswered questions and unresolved actions.

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Helsinki Photo Festival (#HelPhoto) is an annual event showcasing international photography in the Greater Helsinki area. More info on artists, exhibitions and events: www.helsinkiphotofestival.com

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto23 #courage #photography #photographers #photographyexhibition #artexhibition #contemporaryart #fineartphotography #photooftheday #helsinki #helsinkiart #visithelsinki #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #kunst ...

Winner Open Call Nordic Village. Helsinki Photo Festival 2023. Theme: Courage.

Sofi Lundin (@sofi_lundin), Sweden. "The “Iron Lady” from Somalia"

Kamilla Yussuf Abdi, aged 25, has worked as a Case Manager for Save the Children, a child protection services agency in the refugee camps in Somalia.

Kamilla`s father died during the civil war and her mother became the sole breadwinner. Kamilla was sent to an aunt in Kenya who supported 9 other children; growing up around these strong single mothers shaped her into the tenacious and courageous person she is today. In school, she became a mentor supporting other young girls and was soon nick-named, «Iron Lady».

After completing school, Kamilla returned to her home country: Somalia with a mission - to help young girls fight for their rights. Kamilla has traveled around Baidoa and worked there, identifying children needing protection and giving courage to young women to stand up for their rights. She has become an inspiration to many women and children.

“Girls are brought up not to say what they think. Daughters are not given priority for education and many are married off at the early age of 13; they must know that they have rights and their dignity.” says Kamilla.

In her work, she has faced many challenges brought on by hostile and violent environment; she has received a number of threats to her life.

“I have been in a number of scary situations where my life has been in danger, but I have trust in the women I work with here. The community has always been there for me and defended me…I want girls to realize that there is hope, even if you are raised in a poor family without a father.” - Kamilla.

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Helsinki Photo Festival (#HelPhoto) is an annual event showcasing international photography in the Greater Helsinki area. More info on artists, exhibitions and events: www.helsinkiphotofestival.com

#helsinkiphotofestival #helphoto23 #courage #photography #photographers #photographyexhibition #artexhibition #contemporaryart #fineartphotography #photooftheday #helsinki #helsinkiart #visithelsinki #taide #valokuvaus #valokuvataide #kunst ...