ABOAGORA: Mercury, the Winged Messenger
Program
23–25 September 2026
Sibelius Museum, Turku Finland
23 September 2026
Wednesday
Yhteisötaideteos ja osallistava työpaja
Turunlahden sanaversomo
Timo R. Stewart, researcher and author (Centre for European Studies, University of Helsinki)
Barbora Xu, singer & composer
Mikko H. Haapoja, media-artist, music producer & multi-instrumentalist
24 September 2026
Thursday
Dancers: Jonna Eiskonen, Maija Karhunen & Maija Nurmio
Music: Éliane Radigue, I’Île Re-sonante (2000)
Text & video: Teemu Mäki
Lighting design: Olivia Pohjola
Susanna Välimäki, Professor (University of Helsinki)
Kolmas Tila | Tredje Rummet
25 September 2026
Friday
Asemic Writing Workshop with Palimama
Päivi Maunu, visual artist
The Billion Workshop
Leena Pylkkö, visual artist, Licentiate of Philosophy
Tytti Arola, composer
Annika Fuhrman, singer
Elena Kakaliagou, horn player
Susanne Åkesson, Professor (Animal Navigation Lab, Lund University)
To be announced soon!
Registration
Registration for Mercury, the Winged Messenger will open in May 2026.
The participation fee covers all sessions and refreshments served during coffee breaks and the closing reception on Friday.
For possible questions, you can be in touch with us directly via aboagora@utu.fi
Participation fees
The participation fee for ABOAGORA 2025 was 50 €. A reduced fee of 20 € applies for students, doctoral researchers, professional artists or other unwaged participants.
This year, there was also a one-day ticket (20€) for those who can participate only on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
The participation fee covers all sessions and catering during the coffee breaks. If spaces are available, post-registration is available during the event at the event info desk.
Some of the sessions, including the keynote AGORA sessions, are free and open to all.
A new thematic series
The Planets
In 2024, ABOAGORA kicked off a new thematic series, The Planets. The theme is based on the orchestral suite of the same name by the composer Gustav Holst (1874–1934), composed between 1914 and 1917. Each of the composition’s seven movements famously represents a planet in our solar system, bringing forth various ideas, myths and dreams connected to the celestial bodies and the astrological characters associated with them. The series will continue all the way to 2030.
The annual themes of the Planets-thematic series are based on the seven movements of the suite, providing inspiration and a thematic starting point for each year’s events:
- 2024: Mars, the Bringer of War
- 2025: Venus, the Bringer of Peace
- 2026: Mercury, the Winged Messenger
- 2027: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
- 2028: Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
- 2029: Uranus, the Magician
- 2030: Neptune, the Mystic
The theme for 2026 is Mercury, the Winged Messenger, and the main event will be held at the Sibelius Museum on September 23–25. The event examines, among other things, winged words and metaphors in science, art and society, as well as their effects on communication and societal discussion. The effects of climate change on the animal world, such as the migration routes of birds, are also discussed.