The Archipelago Centre Korpoström’s main exhibition for 2026, FOLKTRO, explores the phenomena of folklore through the medium of contemporary art. In the exhibition, the viewer steps into a mythical space that the artists have created with respect and sensitivity toward the layers of cultures, time, and beliefs. Their works lead us on a journey deeper and further inward, to a place that still resonates within us, an echo of something ancient, universal, familiar, and yet inexplicable.
The exhibition has been curated by visual artist Jan Jämsén and features works by Chris Sheridan (US), Akasaka Gill Crabbe (UK/FIN), Elisa Matikainen and Markus Hellsten (Kökar/FIN), and Joakim Finholm (FIN). The exhibition also features a presentation of local stories and folklore phenomena. This background material was provided by the Pargas Local History Museum. Folklorist John Björkman (PhD) has served as an academic advisor for the exhibition process.
The exhibition was made possible with grants from Svenska Kulturfonden, Sparbanksstiftelsen i Korpo, Martha och Albin Löfgrens kulturfond and Eugène, Elisabeth och Birgit Nygréns stiftelse.
With funding from Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland, an academic seminar on the topic of folklore will be held on July 1, 2026.
The exhibition is open every day from 9 am to 7 pm until 31.8.2026. After that the exhibition is open during September on weekends and for groups by reservation until October 31.
Collecting Stories from the Archipelago
Have you walked through ancient stone labyrinths (Jatulintarhat) or experienced a sense of significance, mystery, or unexplained emotions connected to a particular place in nature? Have stories of beings such as water spirits, forest guardians, or household spirits been passed down in your family? Have you heard stories of people visited by the dead—or of the Mara appearing at night?
Throughout history, people have experienced things that are difficult to explain. Stories and beliefs have been passed down from generation to generation as oral traditions, shaping our relationship with our surroundings, everyday life, and the unseen world.
As part of the FOLKTRO exhibition, we are collecting stories and traditions related to folk belief from the Archipelago Sea region. Would you like to share stories that have lived on in your family or community, or perhaps your own experiences of unexplained encounters, mysterious events, or meaningful places? Maybe you have personal rituals, customs, or ways of relating to mythical beings and places perceived as magical.
Share your story with us here!
The collection is organised by the Archipelago Centre Korpoström and the UNESCO Archipelago Sea Biosphere Reserve as part of the FOLKTRO exhibition and the 2026 theme year. The collection is conducted in collaboration with the Swedish Literature Society in Finland (Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, SLS), and all submissions will be archived in the SLS archives.
The Archipelago Centre Korpoström may also use the collected stories anonymously in communications related to the exhibition and theme year.