The theme of this year’s art and science event, ABOAGORA, is Peace
The annual cultural event Aboagora will be organised in Turku on September 10–12. The program includes a speech by Natalia Djandjgava, Country Manager of the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, CMI. The keynote (AGORA) sessions are free and open to all, and students have free admission to all sessions.
Turku’s own cultural event, ABOAGORA, will be held at the Sibelius Museum for the 15th time.
This year’s theme, Venus – Bringer of Peace, is part of the seven-part The Planets series that began last year. The theme is based on the orchestral suite of the same name by the composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934).
ABOAGORA is organized by the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, the Arts Academy of Turku University of Applied Sciences, Åbo Akademi University Foundation, and Turku University Foundation.
ABOAGORA is a symposium that brings together the arts, humanities and sciences. The event consists of public keynote lectures and dialogues, as well as various performative sessions that combine artistic and scholarly approaches.
ABOAGORA is based on the idea that solving complex problems requires not only cooperation between different disciplines, but also the combination of scientific and artistic perspectives.
– Peace can awaken and carry with it painful and difficult feelings – such as loss, longing, and bitterness. At the same time, we will also look ahead, hoping for a better world and believing in the future, says Liisa Lalu, coordinator of Aboagora and project researcher at the University of Turku.
The international main event will feature speakers such as former Foreign Minister and Docent of Political History at the University of Helsinki, Erkki Tuomioja, award-winning children’s book illustrator and author, Linda Bondestam, and Natalia Djandjgava, Country Director of the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, CMI. All these AGORA keynote sessions are free and open to all.
Open keynote talks and performances
Venus, the Bringer of Peace, continues Aboagora’s The Planets theme series after the warlike Mars.
On Wednesday, 10 September, the only planet named after a woman inspires performers to shift from the navel of humanity and reflect a broader perspective with an emphasis on small and innocent beings. In her Agora talk, Linda Bondestam will talk about her work as a picture book artist, and what kinds of stories can we tell.
The lectures, panel discussions, and performances on Thursday and Friday will explore various forms of peace and the possibilities for achieving them. In his keynote lecture on Thursday afternoon, Erkki Tuomioja will reflect on the role of history and historians in war and peace.
Thursday evening culminates in Turku Cathedral. “The Spirit Land/Vuoinnalaš Eanadat”-performance, which combines textile art, music, and theology, is also open to the public. Following the performance, a dialogue session at the Sibelius Museum will examine reconciliation between the Sámi and the Nordic peoples.
Peaceful Venus is both ambiguous and more hopeful than last year’s theme. The keynote speaker on the last day of the event, Friday, CMI’s Natalia Djandjgava, will guide the audience on the path to concrete peace work.
Attending the keynote (AGORA) lectures and to the Thursday evening session is free of charge and does not require advance registration.
Students have free admission to all sessions and are asked to sign their names on the attendance list at the venue. See the whole program of ABOAGORA: Venus, the Bringer of Peace at https://www.aboagora.fi/program/
More information: Coordinator Liisa Lalu / aboagora@utu.fi / +358 50 570 4017