Gulahallat: contemporary Sámi art at the Institut finlandais
Nine Sámi artists, ládjogahpir headdresses, duodji crafts and snow photographs at the Institut finlandais on rue des Écoles. Free until 24 October.
in short 11 September – 24 October 2026 · Institut finlandais, 60 rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris · Free
published on · by the fugace team · lire en français
Photo · Juho Huttunen / Oulu2026
In Northern Sámi, gulahallat means to talk together, to understand each other, to be heard. It's the name of the exhibition the Institut finlandais (the Finnish Institute) devotes to contemporary Sámi art, together with Oulu, European Capital of Culture 2026.
You meet nine artists from both sides of the border, in Finland and Sweden: Outi Pieski, Marja Helander, Hildá Länsman, Tomas Colbengtson, Liselotte Wajstedt and more. Photography, film, textiles, and duodji, the traditional Sámi craft, in reindeer antler, leather and embroidered wool.
In the main room, Outi Pieski's Les 47 aïeules les plus recherchées (the 47 most wanted foremothers) follows the trail of the ládjogahpir, the red-horned headdress of Sámi women, from European museums to its comeback today. Further on, Marja Helander's series Générations sets black-and-white archives against images saturated with light.
The show speaks plainly about colonisation and forced assimilation, but above all it feels like a rebirth. Entry is free, Tuesday to Saturday, 11am–6pm, at 60 rue des Écoles in the Latin Quarter (5th arrondissement).
You have until Saturday 24 October. Make time for a coffee at Café Maa, right next door.
