HARJU ROOMIES is a multidisciplinary exhibition and performance programme taking place at the former Harju Morgue from 7–28 February 2026. Forum Box produces the event in collaboration with its performing arts partners Jenni Kivelä & Kiltit ihmiset, Höyhentämö, and Recover Laboratory. During the daytime, visitors can experience the curated group exhibition Statutum est hominibus mori, while the evenings are dedicated to experimental performance and live art.
Programme:
6 February
Warm welcome to the vernissage at the former Harju morgue (Aleksis Kiven katu 3) on Friday, February 6 from 6–8 pm! On display is an exhibition by the member artists of Forum Box titled Statutum est hominibus mori. At the opening there will be a performance by Seppo Salminen: Self-Portrait with the Unknown.
The event continues with a screening organized by AV-arkki, featuring Jan Ijäs’s video work Lähteellä – At the Spring at approximately 8:15 pm.
12–15 February
Jenni Kivelä & Kiltit ihmiset: The Room Where We Meet
The Room Where We Meet is a choreographed performance for three performers about death, in which the audience is invited as if to a memorial gathering. The work is based on choreographer Jenni Kivelä’s personal experience of her father’s death and the process of coming to terms with it.
Performances on 12 February at 7 pm, 13 February at 7 pm, and 15 February at 5 pm.
Tickets via Holvi.
14 February, 1–4 pm
Piirakkakerho: Verse Workshop
What kind of trace will your life leave behind? What do you dream of? Piirakkakerho’s work invites exhibition visitors to reflect on the finitude of their own time, the importance of dreaming, and the meaningfulness of one’s life. This does not have to be heavy or solemn: hands-on making, the world of materials, and shared wonder guide participants toward weighty themes in a light and accessible way.
Piirakkakerho is an artist collective founded in 2006 that has intrigued and unsettled the art field with both sculptural pies and participatory happenings. The group’s straightforward aim is togetherness and enjoyment.
14 February, 6 PM
AV-arkki’s Valentine’s Day: Open Secret & Red Rose Cinema
18:00 Open Secret
Touring internet cinema
19:30 Red Rose Cinema Helsinki
Open screening event
For Valentine’s Day AV-arkki with Forum Box invites you to an evening of moving images at the former Harju Morgue.
The evening will kick off with Open Secret, a traveling internet cinema and online screening series that brings everyday online images into shared, physical viewing spaces
After the Open Secret screening the evening continues with Red Rose Cinema Helsinki, an open screening event for DIY films. Established in 2024, Red Rose Cinema invites people to share their shoestring-budget shorts, followed by an open projector: an open mic, but for moving image.
Read more here.
15 February
Art Walk Kalasatama
Art Walk Kalasatama is a free guided tour of exhibitions in the Kalasatama area. The Finnish-language tour is led by visual artist Enni Vekkeli. The walk starts at 2 pm at Galleria Longa (Tukkutorinkuja 6) and ends at the former Harju Morgue (Aleksis Kiven katu 3).
During the tour, participants will visit exhibitions by artists at Galleria Longa, Taidehalli Kohta, and Forum Box at the former Harju Mortuargue. We recommend dressing appropriately for the weather and wearing comfortable walking shoes. Duration approx. 1.5 hours. The tour is not wheelchair accessible. No advance registration required. Welcome to join!
19–22 February
Höyhentämö
The experimental performing arts collective Höyhentämö brings a series of performances to the space from Thursday to Sunday, 19–22 February. One Beginning and Four Endings, a group work choreographed by Minja Mertanen, is a butoh dance performance about death and the cyclical nature of life. A Few Words About the Body by Teemu Päivinen and Miro Mantere is a performance and sound art piece. DanceWriteNow – work in progress, directed by Giorgio Convertito, is based on dance improvisation, the act of writing, and text.
Performances take place from Thursday to Sunday; detailed schedules will be announced later: www.hoyhentamo.fi
26–28 February
Doom Loves Gloom: a multidisciplinary festival by the Recover Laboratory collective
Come to Harju and experience how the works and artists absorb something romantically eerie from the former Mortuary itself. More detailed information will be announced closer to the event: instagram.com/recoverlaboratory.
27 February, 12–4 pm
Jenni Kivelä & Kiltit ihmiset: Ask About Death – discussion sessions
Come and talk about death with death doula Elli Isokoski.
You are welcome whether death feels close to you or like a distant topic. You may have a specific question in mind, or simply a desire to gently explore the subject. From 12–1:30 pm and 2:30–4 pm, individual conversations (or discussions with a friend) are available, each lasting up to 20 minutes.