The artists for the Generation 2026 exhibition have been selected – young artists highlight control, identity, and resistance

The artists for Generation 2026 are:

Snowdrop Áine-Fae Belmont | Duc Anh (Ducky) Cong | Erial Dolores | Tara Haikka | Aarne Heikura | Rosa Helenius | Rauha Helin | Eeli Hilme | Eino Intosalmi | Eevi Kaila | Elli Kavén | Tekla Kokkonen | Paavo Kärki | Konsta Laaksosaari | Emilia Lehikoinen | Hafsa Mahamed | Stanislava Ovchinnikova | Sofia Parland & Erix Aboltins | Lena Patta | Veera Pelkonen | Arvi Penttilä | Aarni Pieski, Eeva Airavaara, Lilja Kervinen & Lucian Lovén | Gabriella Presnal | Esteri Punin, Elsa Kerava, Remi Nieminen, Aaro Uusitalo, Iiris Itäkannas & Joanna Linnapuomi | Ly Rahtu | Rafael Rainti | Viola Rauta | Tapio Rokkonen | Elli Roth | Lari Rouvinen | Oiva Rytkönen | Iida Saarela | Melissa Sende | Nóra Somos | Taika Sorjonen | Alva Strang & Rafael Denisov | Leo Terävä & Aliina Kemppainen | tibs | Vilma Tietäväinen | Aura Tiira | Veikka “pvp” Toivari | Sani Tolonen | Victoria Torboli | Siiri Torvinen | Siiri Turpeinen | Johan Urrutia | Sofia Vuorenmaa | Helmi Westerlund | xyny | Mira Özdemir.  

The exhibition will feature video games, media art, painting, and performance, among other forms of art. Many of the works explore shared traumas, the power of pausing as an active act, power structures, as well as the aesthetics and exhaustion of the digital age — the desire to be seen and, at the same time, to hide from view. 

Many of the artists return to craftsmanship and traditional forms of expression, which in the present day serve as comments on societal tensions and the environmental crisis. The works convey a strong urge to challenge boundaries of art forms, nationality, gender, and the use of public space. 

The chair of the Generation 2026 jury is Canadian artist, game designer, and educator Harold Hejazi. 

“This selection reveals a generation unafraid to get their hands dirty – both in their approach to craft, technology and activism, and in their willingness to confront hard truths. These artists are in the process of shaping their own identities, and in doing so, they are also shaping the future. Their works are raw, urgent and unapologetic, capturing the emotional complexity and political consciousness of youth today”, says Hejazi. 

Generation is a key project in Amos Rex’s programme, through which the museum works in long-term collaboration with young adults. The triennial offers a way to listen to upcoming generations and to provide a platform for their art. 

“Amos Rex is always oriented towards the future of art, and there is no better way to see where art is going than through the work of the young artists selected for Generation. It is a diverse group of raw talents, where we see future fields of creativity emerging. It is also an opportunity to experience the hopes, dreams, anxieties and commitments of young people in an unusually direct and expressive way. We can’t wait to welcome this community of young artists to Amos Rex next year”, Museum Director Kieran Long says.  

The Generation 2026 exhibition will open at Amos Rex in May 2026. 

Exhibition jury: 

Harold Hejazi, Chair 
Kieran Long, Museum Director, Amos Rex 
Krista Mamia, Assistant Curator, Amos Rex 
Laura Porola, Curator of Public Programmes, Amos Rex 
Inna Schwanck, Exhibition Assistant, Amos Rex 
Aino Kontinen, Generation 2023 Artist 
Yoonsik Kim, Generation 2023 Artist