The spring season kicks off with a weekend packed with events on 25–26 January. On Saturday, you can create your own treasure map in an open art workshop for visitors of all ages. On Sunday, you’ll have a chance to try out different drawing techniques while sketching a live model at Tschabalala Self’s Around the Way exhibition. EMMA will provide the drawing materials free of charge! As a Sunday highlight, we’d like to mention a screening of Self’s Sounding Board performance. The video will be screened again on 9 March, this time accompanied by a DJ set by Sophia Wekesa that will transport you to the streets of New York.

DJ WEKESA © Lumi Pulkkinen

In February, we’ll celebrate the Architecture and Design Days with a range of thematic events. On 2 February, EMMA and Espoo City Museum KAMU will host a joint tour of the unique building designed by Aarno Ruusuvuori, offering a glimpse into areas normally closed to the public. If you’re interested in design, we recommend events linked to the Draped exhibition, which explores the art of printed fabrics. Over the course of spring, the exhibition’s curator Aura Vilkuna will talk about putting the show together, and two featured artists – Kaarina Kellomäki and Matti Pikkujämsä – will discuss their work.

March brings the much-loved Children’s Museum Festival, this time with a nostalgic ‘90s theme. The festival programme will be announced later in the spring, but do keep the weekend of 15–16 March free in your diary! Fun for the whole family is provided by our open Saturday workshops, as well as Art Play for Babies sessions designed for children under one year old and their parents or carers. We’ll also be hosting Art Break events during the half-term holiday, where you can drop in on any day that suits you or even join us for the entire week!

On 9 April, the opening day of the Karin Hellman and Arte Povera – A New Chapter exhibitions, we’ll host an EMMA Talks open to all, focusing on textiles and the use of natural materials in art. The discussion will feature Stedelijk Museum curator and conservator Leontine Coelewij, contemporary art researcher Riikka Niemelä, and EMMA’s Director, Pilvi Kalhama. Also, don’t miss artist Priss Niinikoski’s Sonic Mediations performance, which will take place in the exhibition space on four separate days in April and May.

In addition we’ll be running monthly online events for EMMA newsletter subscribers, including artist talks and guided tours. Find out more by subscribing to our club newsletter. Our weekly guided tours are held mostly in Finnish, but for example on 23rd of February we offer a tour to the Experiment in Conretism exhibition in English. You’ll find the full spring programme here.