Residency Guests

Master of Arts Lauri Linna lives and works in Helsinki, and for a large part of the year also in Kuusamo. Previously, his artistic practice has focused in particular on themes related to nature and biology. In recent years, he has begun to explore his Karelian heritage and the lives of his ancestors.

As part of this exploration of Karelianness, he has been practising the making of embroidered käspaikkas, or hand towels. During his residency at Serlachius, he is embroidering a tuulipaikka, or mourning cloth, which was traditionally made in memory of the deceased and tied to the cross erected on a grave. Over time, the cross and the cloth were allowed to decay due to weather and age, and they were not replaced. In this way, grief was given a natural end.

“Straight stitch embroidery is slow but rewarding. The contents of old käspaikkas are like notes: they depict a wide range of things in a multilayered, ambiguous visual language. With the mourning cloth, I want to remember my own roots and the feelings of grief and loss associated with them, as well as all Karelian evacuees of working-class background who were landless, and their descendants,” he says.

Lauri Linna’s grandmother’s family were Karelian-speaking Karelians from north of Lake Ladoga. He points out that this is a different language from the Karelian dialect belonging to the Finnish language. As part of his Karelian heritage, he has studied the Livvi (Olonets) dialect of the Karelian language.

“Before their final evacuation, my great-grandparents worked at the Läskelä Joensuu sawmill in Harlu. After the war, the family apparently first moved to Lappajärvi in Ostrobothnia and later, at some point, to Kolho in Vilppula.”

In Kolho developed a close-knit, multilingual Karelian community whose members found work in local industrial plants. There were so many Orthodox Christians that an Orthodox church was built in the village in the 1950s. Lauri Linna has never lived in Kolho or in the Mänttä region himself, but during his residency period he has been able to become acquainted with these roots.

“As a child, we were not told much about our Karelian background. My grandparents made a great effort to ensure that we would assimilate into Finnish society. Because of discrimination, they changed their Karelian names, their religious denomination, and their customs,” he says.

The presentation has been published in the residency newsletter in February 2026.

Leena Ylä-Lyly, Finland

Leena Ylä-Lyly, a Helsinki-based photographic artist originally from Lyly near Mänttä, is working on the Aesthetic Heritage project during her residency at Serlachius. In the project, she explores the points of convergence between the visual language of her own art and the textile works of her late aunt, Ritva Ylä-Lyly (1929–2023).

“My aunt’s quiet, carefully composed textiles speak a surprisingly similar language to my photographic works, which are influenced by Zen art. In Mänttä I am producing new works and writing. The same sense of stillness found in my aunt’s works is also present in my own texts,” she says.

Leena Ylä-Lyly has dismantled and archived her aunt’s estate, including papers, newspaper clippings, textile works, and their patterns. The residency provides time to delve more deeply into all of this material.

She is planning an exhibition consisting of photographic works, her aunt’s textile art, texts, and object installations. “My aim is to explore the original sources of our art and to bring them together visually – to weave a new fabric from our works.”

She says that the two-month working period at Serlachius Residency has got off to a very good start. “Living in the museum’s beautiful surroundings feels like a privilege. Nature and art are inspiring. The thought that the Schjerfbecks are resting on the other side of the courtyard makes me smile.”

The presentation has been published in the residency newsletter in February 2026.

Laura Nissinen, Finland

Art historian and artist Laura Nissinen will spend the month of January at the Serlachius Residency. In her doctoral dissertation, she has already focused on the intersection of visual arts and science in the 19th century. She went through the imagery of science, which in his opinion contributed to the development of abstractions in art.

“Scientific images, which were produced using a microscope, for example, showed a world that would otherwise be inaccessible to the human eye,” she says

In Serlachius’ collections, Laura Nissinen focuses especially on art that depicts human remains, such as skulls and skeletons. They can be found, for example, in the works of Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Eric Ehrström and Magnus Enckell, as well as in Olga Gummerus-Ehrström’s sketchbooks from her student days.

“As far as Gallen-Kallela is concerned, I will discuss the subject in my article, which will be published in January in the publication series of the Finnish Antiquities Society,” she says.

She has already become acquainted with Serlachius’s collections in two art history courses focusing on pre-modern art at the University of Helsinki, one of which he taught as a teacher.

“The residency offers me a longer, continuous period of research into the museum’s collections and archive materials than a one-day visit. I have, in fact, found new subjects, such as Eric Ehrström’s plant-themed photographs. The residency has also inspired me to delve into the history of the Serlachius Company, which is excitingly intertwined with my previous research.”

As a winter person, Laura Nissinen has enjoyed the residency very much and has enjoyed the silence, frost and ice swimming. “It will be sad to give up the sculpture park in the courtyard,” she admits.

The presentation has been published in the residency newsletter in January 2026.

Lauri Lähteenmäki, Finland

Helsinki-based photographic artist and environmental expert Lauri Lähteenmäki is interested in broad social issues that are linked to the use and management of nature and, on the other hand, to the dependence of the entire civilization on natural systems.

“I approach these questions with an investigative approach, mostly through documentary photography. For example, my photo book Green Gold Fever: A Report on the State of Finnish Forests (2022) describes landscapes shaped by forestry and presents public debate on forest use,” he says.

Lauri Lähteenmäki has recently completed and submitted for peer review a research article combining documentary photography and social science together with researcher Maarit Laihonen.

In September and October, his exhibition will open at the Sarka Agricultural Museum, which deals with the neglected status of peatland nature in Finnish culture and the development of the state.

“The Serlachius Residency offers a great setting for working. I will delve into writing an essay, take photographs in the surrounding areas and get to know the activities of the Serlachius Museums. The area is well suited for the implementation of works on forestry,” he says.

The presentation has been published in the residency newsletter in January 2026.

Karkki Mäkelä, Finland

In her cyborg sculptures, Tampere-based visual artist Karkki Mäkelä combines man-made objects with body parts made of self-drying clay. She makes sculptures of small household appliances, electronics and garden equipment, among other things.

“I have dealt a lot with the relationship between consumption and ownership and identity and social pressures. Here at the residency, I’ve also studied a certain kind of consumer aesthetics, how choices and style mean more and more which tribe you belong to, or especially what you don’t belong to,” she explains.

Boasting and ostentation can also be seen in Karkki Mäkelä’s works. The muscles of body parts stretch unnaturally in an attempt to act as an extension of the ego. “I approach my subjects with a gentle sense of humour, and often the hits are found through stinging introspection.”

She was attracted to the Serlachius Residence by the unique combination of peace and culture in Mänttä, as she wanted to work in a focused, continuous manner. She will spend the month of January working on small serial sculptures at the residency.

“Expectations have been met, if not exceeded. The milieu and spirit of the city have brought surprising inspiration,” she says.

The presentation has been published in the residency newsletter in January 2026.

Artists-in-residence chosen for 2026 include also:

Timo Andersson, Finland
Polina Choni, Ukraine/Finland
Tom Espinoza, Venezuela/Argentiina
Verena Issel, Norway/Germany
Paulo Jacobo, Mexico
MOKA Group: Ilai Elias Lehto, Timo Höyssä, Liisa Tarleena Öhman, Senni Uusikartano ja Sanna Saarreharju, Finland
Eeva Karhu, Finland
Tina Kohlman, Germany
Tanja Leppäaho, Finland
Markus Luiro, Finland
Hanneriina Moisseinen, Finland
Janne Räisänen, Finland
Jochen Schneider, Saksa
Ayaka Tadano, Japan
Sirkka Tapio, Finland

Reserve list:
Anu Halmesmaa, Finland
Mirja Ilkka, Finland
Timo Kokko, Finland
Santiago Colombo Migliorero, Argentina/Spain
Adi Tudose, Romania
Wim Schermer, Netherlands
Bahzad Sulaiman, Syria/Germany

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