'Finland: zoom in, zoom out' exhibition

23th of October-6th of November 2025

Valeria Azovskaya and Lidia Rauramo, visual art

Harald Herlin Learning Centre, Otaniemi, Espoo

In our exhibition, we share places in Finland that hold special significance for us—places we want to connect with, return to, and remember. Through our stories, we hope to inspire you to visit these locations or perhaps evoke memories of other places that are meaningful to you.

Exhibition layout

The Colours of the Archipelago

A person standing on a shore, alone, watching the sea.This person is me. The water reflects the stones, the trees growing on the islands, the sky, mostly cloudy, above. Here I will not see the azure colour of the sea or the bright yellow of warm sunshine, but my soul doesn’t need them. I feel good here. I belong here, by the sea, where I can hear my own voice.

"I moved to Finland at the beginning of August many years ago. The first thing that I noticed was the cries of seagulls. Their sounds, so unpleasant for some, are like music to me. I remember that I am happy every time I hear them. I even got a tattoo of a seagull that represents Finland and my new life here.

I moved first to Jätkäsaari, because I was determined to live by the sea. I should live in proximity to the sea in Finland; it is like air to me. I walk by the sea every day. Now, living in Ruoholahti, I swim regularly at Lapinlahti.

After Jätkäsaari I moved to Laajasalo, determined to live by the sea, on the island. I know every little change of island life throughout the seasons: how colors change, how sounds fade away during winter, how the cracking ice sounds in the spring, how it feels to walk many kilometers on the ice that resulted in falling under the ice once, how it feels to skate on wild ice – one of my hobbies. Did you ever notice how ice forms crystals around a rock standing half in the water and half outside? Or how jellyfish surround the pontoon and the long-legged stork watches them? My favorite period is the white night, when the sea, sky, and air all talk about magic. The borders of reality and dream are blurrier.

After Laajasalo I moved to an island again – Kaskisaari. Now I am in Ruoholahti, one minute away from the sea, near a big bridge where I saw large ships with beautiful names bringing coal. As long as I live in Finland, I will do everything I can to live by the sea—to let my gaze get lost in its vastness, to hear the seagulls, and to lose myself in the depths of my own soul”.

Lidia

The Archipelago Walk

“One of my very dear memories from my childhood is looking far, far away, where the sky meets the prairie. There is not much else but the still-blue height above the moving, silky-green grass randomly swayed by the wind like a magical horse's mane. It looked so simple, yet so beautiful and calming. I felt free and happy. One reason I loved that place so much was knowing that if you walked north for a couple of hours, you would find a lake, my second favourite place to be. My grandmother said that I should live next to the water when I grew up because I loved it so much. And I knew that one day I would, and here I am.

The sea is still a strange place to me; we are not friends, but I do hope that respect can carry me far and further. The water is cold, the shores are rocky, and more rocks are hidden below the surface; underwater currents swirl invisibly, and at all times so many sounds roar from all directions that I feel I'm getting lost in this scratchy and vivid melody. I walk carefully, and therefore slowly. I am in a strange place and I like it here so far. As I go, my mind begins to wander, and I see the textures of stones, dry seaweed, seagull’s feathers, sand, sea kale sprouts, and lichen dots. I notice the mute, barely distinct colours of the driftwood and stop to examine its texture more closely. The closer I look, the more I see, and the calmer I become. I go far and further.”

Valeria

The Language of the Forest 

I am walking with no direction through the forest. Sometimes I walk in circles. Forest maze, show me the exit or reveal your treasures. I know your language, and I speak it when I meet your creatures: a snake, a deer, a rabbit, a fox, a moose. I respect the borders, the rules, and the rituals; in return, you always bring me back to myself.

“In my childhood, my cousin and I used to run to the forest every day during the three summer months to escape the severity of our grandma. Left for long months by our parents and unhappy at the summer house, we found our happiness in the forest. We played games with it, reading it like an adventure book with different stories: which animal passed here, which animal ate another, who had a fight here, where this path leads, and many more.

Now the forest is my home—the temple where I bring all my life’s struggles and joys. I whisper my problems to the trees, and I hug them, and they hug me in return. I know all the bigger and smaller paths within a two-hour drive from Helsinki. I did the Karhunkierros trail, I hiked in Koli—even in winter—and of course I have been in various locations around the Saimaa Geopark. Once, I even met a bear in the forest.

My friends and colleagues know that I might bring them mushrooms in the fall because my freezer can’t take any more. Besides the well-known berries, I know many other things you can eat in the forest. I know some pagan rituals, and worshipping the forest is, probably, my only religion.

The love and respect that Finnish people carry for nature is something I am part of. I remind myself every day that we are very lucky to see the beauty of nature around us and to have forests so close by, even while living in the capital”.

Lidia

Helsinki City Bloom 

“Winter is over. The pitch-dark air that surrounded us is fading away, and a promise of colours beyond grey fills the sky. I stand with my face lifted, absorbing the shy yet vigorous sun—for the first time in months. This winter felt like forever.

The cold tries its luck again and again, refusing to let go, but we both know what's around the corner: more sun, fewer rocks underfoot, washed asphalt, lighter clothes. The scent of soil and trees returns to the streets, and I want to spend every minute that isn't snowing, cloudy, or raining out there, under the sun. Nothing else makes sense in those moments. Spring is here.

The city unfolds itself, inviting us to wander its streets and parks. Each day, many plants begin their cycle and start sprouting. Each week, you can find yourself in a completely different city—spring in the north is swift and waits for no one. Gentle yet daring flowers push through the soil and thin crackling night ice to bloom. They will never be quite the same again, and tomorrow will bring different ones.

I take my camera with me on walks to capture these special moments of bloom, as they are so easy to miss while rushing around, trying to fit all tasks into the still-short days. I welcome the spring blooming photo-therapy into my life again and again, celebrating the end of winter. I feel bubbling joy when I spot what is not immediately apparent—waiting to be discovered by those who take the time to look closely—revealing in the colours of Nordic city spring.”

Valeria

The Romance of the North

The North is just. It is not a place of half-measures, conformism, or pretense, and it is beautiful and clear in this way. You either love it and accept it, or you don’t. Winter is silent when you stand on the ice in the middle of one of the frozen lakes of Saimaa. This silence is foundational.

“I am a child of the North. The North, with its roughness and brutal beauty, reminds me of who I am and who I have always been, and it strengthens my integrity. Just like the North, I am not trying to be comfortable or superficial, I am not trying to cut corners — I am myself.

What is the North for me? It is granite — the beautiful, durable gray stone that surrounds us everywhere. It is the dark gray color of the water. It is the fresh, cold, and incredibly tasty air and water. It is the best summer on the planet. It is the white night of June and the aurora in the winter.

Try taking a walk in the park at night after a snowfall. Go to places without streetlights. You will see the snow illuminating everything around you in the darkness. It is a different kind of brightness, one you won’t find anywhere else. I belong to the North”.

Lidia 

Meet the artists:

Featured prints:

Each photo is elegantly framed with a mat. The frame measures 50x70 cm, and the photo itself is 40x50 cm. All prints are available for purchase.