Axel Straschnoy invites visitors to imagine alternative futures in a new exhibition at EMMA

Born in Buenos Aires and based in Helsinki, Axel Straschnoy (b. 1978) is known for his long-term projects that explore practices within science and art. Throughout his work, he challenges audiences to view familiar phenomena from new perspectives. In this new installation, he invites visitors to reflect on the societal significance of utopian thinking and to test the boundaries of political imagination. 

At the core of the exhibition is a speech by J. Posadas, the Trotskyist leader of the fringe leftist movement Posadism, which emerged in Argentina in the late 1950s. In the speech published in 1968, Posadas posited that contact with advanced communist civilisations in outer space could enable the creation of a new kind of society on Earth – one without poverty, hunger or war. Straschnoy revisits this vision in our current era, marked by deepening political and ecological crises.

We believe and accept that these beings  exist unfolds as a multifaceted dialogue between written and spoken word. Visitors encounter large canvases hand-painted with quotations from Posadas’ speech, evoking protest banners. The canvases are accompanied by video works offering perspectives from space research, ufology, and political history. By using words as the central element of the installation, Straschnoy underscores their power as a political tool. At the same time, the work links to the museum building’s history as a former printing house Through this interplay, Straschnoy encourages us to reach not only for the stars but also for futures grounded in equality, abundance and freedom. 

The exhibition forms part of the Fine Arts Academy of Finland Prize, awarded to the artist in recognition of his artistic practice. The prize includes also a publication produced by EMMA, to be released later in spring 2026. We believe and accept that these beings exist is realised in collaboration with the Fine Arts Academy of Finland Foundation and the City of Espoo. Previous prize exhibitions at EMMA include Tuomas A. Laitinen, Camilla Vuorenmaa, Outi Pieski, Aaron Heino and Katarina Reuter.