Espoo Museum of Modern Art
Outsider Art Festival 2026 – Opening Event at EMMA
Welcome to EMMA to celebrate Outsider Art Festival! Outsider Art Festival (OAF) builds hope and creates space for outsider art at the heart of the art world.
The programme includes opportunities to connect, live art performances, guided exhibition tours, and presentations from the TOIVO art project. Featured performers include Aizhan Sultan and Laserlevyraati by VHS-klubi.
During the event, the OAF Award, honourable mentions, and the 2026 Vimma Award will be presented. The Vimma Award is granted jointly by Kynnys ry and the Tukilinja Foundation. The award recognises artistic activities, works, or events that increase public awareness and foster positive discussion about disability and functional diversity.
Admission to EMMA is free every Friday from 3.00 pm onwards.
Aikataulu
15.00–15.30 OAF Hope Talks: a discussion on inclusive curating. Moderated by Heini Merkkiniemi (OAF). AITIO
15.30–16.30 Opening Celebration: welcome speeches, the opening of the Länsimetro exhibition, and a tribute to the artists. During the event, the OAF Award, honourable mentions, and the 2026 Vimma Award will be presented. The Vimma Award is granted jointly by Kynnys ry and the Tukilinja Foundation. AITIO
16.30–18.00 Laserlevyraati by VHS-klubi. Performer information can be found below. LUOVA
16.30–18.00 TOIVO: an interactive artwork open for everyone to experience and participate in. What gives you hope? This curated collection of works by the OAF team delights and surprises. AITIO
16.30–17.00 Guided tour of the In Search of the Present exhibition from a sensory accessibility perspective. Led by guides from the Autism Foundation Finland / Ammattiopisto Live and EMMA.
17.30–18.00 Guided tour of the In Search of the Present exhibition from a sensory accessibility perspective. Led by guides from the Autism Foundation Finland / Ammattiopisto Live and EMMA.
18.00–18.45 Concert by Aizhan Sultan. Performer information can be found below. AITIO
Performers
Aizhan Sultan
Aizhan Sultan’s compositions draw inspiration from the history and traditions of nomadic culture, blending traditional and contemporary Kazakh music. In her performances, traditional Kazakh vocal improvisation, throat singing, and the sounds of the shanqobyz (jaw harp) merge seamlessly with Saku Liimatainen’s live electronics. These electronic elements introduce a modern Finnish soundscape into the heart of the Kazakh nomadic tradition.
Originally from Kazakhstan and now based in Finland, Aizhan Sultan is a singer, songwriter, and doctoral researcher. Her work focuses on themes of decolonisation and radical inclusion in Central Asia. As a woman living with achondroplasia, Sultan has first-hand experience of power as a tool of oppression, while also recognising solidarity and art as forces of liberation.
Laserlevyraati by VHS-klubi
VHS-klubi brings Laserlevyraati to EMMA’s Outsider Art Festival celebrations! Developed by VHS-klubi, Laserlevyraati is a concept and TV studio simulation in which vintage karaoke videos from the 1990s are screened from LaserDiscs. A pianist provides a live soundtrack, judges award points, and audience members are invited to sing along.
VHS-klubi is a multidisciplinary art collective based in Tampere whose practice revolves around video workshops, visual design, event production, and 1980s technology. The collective has organised more than one hundred events, collaborated visually with over one hundred artists, and led workshops at dozens of festivals. Simulation is a recurring theme in VHS-klubi’s work: the group recreates the aesthetics, advertisements, and game shows of the 1980s. Through imitation, something new and intriguing emerges as two different eras collide.
Outsifer Art Festival OAF
Outsider Art Festival (OAF) 2026 brings art, encounters, and conversations centred on the theme of hope to Helsinki and Espoo this August. The festival highlights outsider art as an integral part of our shared cultural dialogue and fosters collaboration among a wide range of actors in the art field. The OAF x Espoo programme takes over several metro stations in Espoo and culminates in the opening celebration at EMMA on 21 August.
Members of the public are invited to take part in the festival in advance by sending thoughts, poems, or ideas that inspire hope to toivo@outsiderartfestival.fi. Selected submissions will be featured as part of the festival programme.
OAF is a friend festival of the Helsinki Festival. Partners in the Espoo programme include KulttuuriEspoo, the City of Espoo, Länsimetro Oy, Espoo Ciné, EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Exhibition Centre WeeGee, and Welp Productions, among others.