Five‑member jury to assess nearly 600 submissions for Taidevaltakunta ’28

According to a press release from ePressi, a five‑member external expert panel will assess nearly 600 proposals submitted for the Taidevaltakunta ’28 biennale, following an open artist and work call held March 9–August 2, 2026. Final selections will be made with museum staff in August–September 2026.

The open call closed on 2 August 2026, and the museum recruited regional experts in May to serve on the selection committee.

Organisers received 319 applicants who together submitted almost 600 individual proposals, including solo artists, pairs and collectives. Applicants had to show a regional connection to Kanta‑Häme, Pirkanmaa or Päijät‑Häme.

Sixty‑seven people applied to join the selection panel, and five were chosen to bring outside perspectives alongside museum staff.

Elisa Lindell, the project’s lead museum researcher, said the strong response to the open call shows the biennale’s value and growing recognition. The three founding museums behind Taidevaltakunta are Malva (Lahti Museum of Visual Arts), Hämeenlinna Art Museum and Tampere Art Museum.

The external experts named to the panel are Lasse Kantola, Tommi Parviainen, Salli Ritola, Emma Savela and Tuija Veirto. Organisers specifically sought panelists from fields beyond fine art to broaden the range of perspectives.

"I applied to the panel out of love for diverse culture and art and a wish to strengthen and maintain that diversity. I look forward to the work and to seeing the many ways the theme 'Ihana elämä' can be depicted," said Salli Ritola. (The theme title translates as "Lovely Life".)

The third Taidevaltakunta biennale will take place in Lahti and the Päijät‑Häme region in summer 2028. The first was held in Hämeenlinna in 2024 and the second in Tampere from 12 June to 16 August 2026.