Helsinki Biennial 2023 presented 29 artists or collectives from Finland and around the world. 2023, the biennial’s main venues were Vallisaari Island and HAM Helsinki Art Museum. You could also experience artworks in various locations in the city centre.
Artworks on Vallisaari Island were situated along a marked trail both outdoors and inside old gunpowder cellars. The trail is about three kilometres long, and the artworks were marked on signage along the trail.
Helsinki Biennial on Vallisaari Island is free of charge.
There is a fee for the ferry. Read more about the ferry traffic here.
The exibitions at HAM Helsinki Art museum has an admission fee. Buy tickets here.
In 2023 Helsinki Biennial allowed free entry on the last Friday of June, July, and August. On those days, entry to the exhibition at HAM was free of charge. Free ferry tickets to Vallisaari were sponsored in June and July by the City of Helsinki and in August by S Group, a Finnish network of companies in the retail and service sectors.
(open during Midsummer 23.-25.6.)
(closed during Midsummer 23.–25.6.)
Visitors to the island will be served by the information desk located by the Luotsipiha entry pier, where you can buy a biennial guidebook or booklet to support your visit. The biennial attendants, working on Vallisaari, will also be happy to answer questions about art and the island.
The HB shop in Torpedonlahti offers an interesting and timely selection of Helsinki Biennial postcards, books, and other delightful products.
The info desk and shop will be open during Helsinki Biennial’s opening hours.
You can enquire about any lost items at the information desk located at Luotsipiha (040 198 1142).
You can find information about other services on Vallisaari here.
Please explore Vallisaari Island using the marked paths, as the island’s natural environment is sensitive to erosion. This historical island also has many dangerous structures and cliffs.
Dogs are welcome on Vallisaari, but the indoor areas are not accessible to pets. Let’s keep Vallisaari neat and tidy for visitors and the island’s organisms. Please put your rubbish in the bins; there are several recycling points along the route.
On the island, you can recycle bio and energy waste, as well as bottles and cans. Read more about the rules and regulations on Metsähallitus’ nationalparks.fi website.
Vallisaari is a challenging place for people with limited mobility. The routes are paved mainly with sand and partly with stone. Uneven paved stretches cannot be avoided. The biennial’s route has no outdoor stairs, but there are stairs at the entrances and indoors. The terrain is rough and hilly in places. Weather conditions also influence how even, hard, or slippery the routes are.
It is recommended that persons with wheelchairs or rolling walkers visit Vallisaari with an assistant.
HAM Helsinki Art Museum is fully accessible.
Helsinki Biennial emphasises responsibility and maintaining nature’s ecological sustainability. An environmental programme has also been created for the biennial on the basis of the EcoCompass environmental management system.