STATUTUM EST HOMINIBUS MORI
7–28 February 2026
Harju Old Morgue (Aleksis Kiven katu 3, Helsinki)
Tue–Sun 12–5 PM
Free admission
The opening of the exhibition is on Friday, 6 February, from 6–8 PM. Welcome!
The exhibition is part of the Harju Roomies event series, which brings art content to the Harju Old Mortuary in February. In addition to Forum Box, the programme features works by performing arts partners Jenni Kivelä & Kiltit ihmiset, Höyhentämö, and Recover Laboratory.
In February, a group exhibition by twenty-four Forum Box artists will open in the former Harju morgue. The theme of the exhibition is liminal space. On this occasion, the member artists of the artist cooperative are presenting their work outside their own gallery space. Like Forum Box, Harju is located in an area undergoing transformation, and in addition, the original function of both spaces has changed. The title of the exhibition comes from the inscription above the entrance and means death is appointed to all. The exhibition theme of liminality refers to the way the morgue functioned as a place where bodies were kept before burial. Conceptually, the bodies were stored in a space between life and death.
When thinking about unusual spaces, the concept of the third place often comes to mind. It refers to spaces outside the home and the workplace. A third place represents an area where diverse and unplanned encounters can give rise to something new. Art, too, can be thought of as a third place, as it enables surprising and uncontrollable experiences. A classic example of a third place is the agora of ancient Greece, where merchants, philosophers, and travelers met. Forum Box takes its name from the Roman forum, a marketplace that also hosted many kinds of encounters. The exhibition at Harju creates a site for new kinds of meetings.
STATUTUM EST HOMINIBUS MORI is a multimedia whole in which the artworks enter into dialogue with the exhibition space. At times, the works are placed in unexpected locations, inviting visitors to explore the venue thoroughly. The surprising placement of the works causes the viewer to pause, as a piece may appear in an unforeseen context. In the dialogue between art and space, a view opens onto a liminal zone that exists outside everyday life. Through art, it is also possible to grasp various phenomena, experiences, and sensations related to the end of life.
Since its founding, Forum Box has been a community that advocates for collegiality in contemporary art and for bringing together different art forms. It also defends artistic freedom and unrestrained expression, making it natural for the cooperative’s artists to present their work in a space like Harju, which is seeking a new purpose. We wish Harju a long life and hope that in the future it can serve as an arena for unpredictable and unexpected encounters.
The exhibition is curated by a working group consisting of Forum Box member artist Riikka Anttonen, Anna Hyrkkänen, Eeva Peura ja Juha-Heikki Tihinen.
Exhibiting artists: Sampo Apajalahti, Petteri Cederberg, Petri Eskelinen, Kaisaleena Halinen, Taru Happonen, Mika Hytti, Kaisu Koivisto, Thomas Nyqvist, Milla-Kariina Oja, Pilvi Ojala, Vesa-Pekka Rannikko, Satu Rautiainen, Simo Ripatti, Hermanni Saarinen, Seppo Salminen, Antti Tanttu, Kain Tapper, Nora Tapper, Paula Tella, Piirakkakerho, Pauliina Turakka Purhonen, Kristiina Uusitalo, Maija Vainonen, Magdalena Åberg.
PhD Juha-Heikki Tihinen
Download the exhibition catalogue and artist bios here
Exhibition is open 7.–28.2.2026 Tue—Sun 12—5 pm. Address of the location is Aleksis Kiven katu 3.
Accessibility
The main entrance to the space is located on Aleksis Kivi Street. The space can be accessed via Dallapé Park or from the Kustaa Street side, where there is a 10 cm high threshold from the parking area to the entrance.
A ramp leads to the main entrance. The ramp is approximately 100 cm wide with a gradient of about 1:5. There is a 4 cm high threshold on the ramp. The main entrance consists of double doors; when both doors are open, the entrance width is 190 cm. There is a 6 cm high threshold at the exterior door.
The entrance to the mortuary, the event spaces, and the toilet facilities are all located on the same level. The space is divided into a lobby area and two rooms, and there are no thresholds between the interior spaces.
There are two gender-neutral toilets in the space, located in the room on the right as seen from the entrance. The right-hand toilet is more suitable for visitors using mobility aids. There is a 2 cm high threshold at the toilet door, and access to the toilet is through two doors, each with a doorway width of 90 cm.