Scandinavian Culture Calendar: September 2023

By Hanna Heiskanen

Helsinki Comics Festival (16 to 17 September)

Helsinki Comics Festival is being organised for the 38th time, this year at Korjaamo Culture Factory in Töölö, which also houses the Tram Museum (free entry!). Expected to gather up to 25,000 fans of visual storytelling, the festival’s themes for 2023 are travel and German language comics. The first day of the event also coincides with International Batman Day — expect speech karaoke and short films, or why not get a Batman tattoo?

Töölönkatu 51 A-B, Helsinki

sarjakuvafestivaalit.fi

Scandinavian Culture Calendar: September 2023

Helsinki Comics Festival. Photo: Joonas Kohonen

Helsinki Comics Festival. Photo: Henry Söderlund

Josepha Madoki: D.I.S.C.O (28 to 29 September)

Stockholm’s Dansens Hus is one of the region’s hubs for contemporary dance, and one of its highlights this autumn is D.I.S.C.O. (Don’t initiate social contact with others) by choreographer Josépha Madoki, also known as Princess Madoki.he show promises a 70s-style club experience with eight dancers and a DJ. Wearing disco clothes is voluntary but recommended!

Linnégatan 69, Stockholm

dansenshus.se

Panoramica 2023: Latin American Film Festival (28 September to 1 October)

September is the time to get into new hobbies. Expand your knowledge of Latin American film at Stockholm’s Panoramica festival, which returns for a 9th edition. Keep your eyes peeled for the full programme!

Cinemas around Stockholm

panoramica.se

Still from video work HABITATS. Photo: Studio ThinkingHand

Before Tomorrow: Astrup Fearnley Museet 30 Years (until 8 October)

The Astrup Fearnley Collection in Oslo is home to one of the most interesting selections of contemporary art not just in Scandinavia, but Europe. The collection traces its beginnings to the 1960s and the Norwegian ship broker and art collector Hans Rasmus Astrup. Before Tomorrow features installations and objects, altogether more than 100 works for this anniversary exhibition. The museum itself is the design of the famed Italian architect Renzo Piano.

Strandpromenaden 2, Oslo

afmuseet.no

Thomas Struth: The Art Institute of Chicago II, 1990. Astrup Fearnley Collection. Photo: Thomas Struth

Copenhagen Culture Night (13 October)

Copenhagen opens up for all forms of culture just as the cold nights draw in. From churches to museums, galleries to political institutions, the festival provides an opportunity to see the city from new points of view and experience something different. The programme is announced in mid-September, and you can take part in all the activities by purchasing the Culture Pass for DKK 110.

Venues around Copenhagen

kulturnatten.dk

The Seasons in Us: Works from the Collections of the Association of Finnish Fine Art Foundations (until 7 January 2024)

Weather and the seasons are a major element in Scandinavian life, from long summer nights to short winter days. This exhibition of 80 works at the Oulu Art Museum celebrates the seasons in fine art, from the 1870s to today. Catch paintings by Finnish masters such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Albert Edelfelt as well as contemporary artists Marika Mäkelä, Petri Hytönen and others.

Kasarmintie 9, Oulu

ouka.fi/oulu/luuppi/oulun-taidemuseo

Studio ThinkingHand: EVOLUTIONS (until 7 January 2023)

Glass is not just for drinking from, it’s also a delicate material for making art. The Danish Queen Margrethe II is the patron of Glas, a museum located near Aarhus and dedicated to this artform. This year’s major exhibition is by the collective Studio ThinkingHand, formed by Mikkel Dahlin Bojesen and Rhoda Ting, and explores evolution: nature, ecosystems, fungi, and more.

Strandvejen 8, Ebeltoft

glaskunst.dk