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
Direction: Teemu Mäki & Maija Nurmio
Music: Éliane Radigue, I’Île Re-sonante (2000)
Dancers: Jonna Eiskonen, Maija Karhunen & Maija Nurmio
Choreography: Maija Nurmio
Text & video: Teemu Mäki
Lighting design: Olivia Pohjola
Susanna Välimäki, Professor (University of Helsinki)
Marko Lehti, researcher, Research Director of Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI)
Kolmas Tila | Tredje Rummet | Third Space
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)
Saxtronauts & Maija Kauhanen
Registration
Registration for Mercury, the Winged Messenger is now open!
The participation fee covers all sessions and concerts, 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 2026 is 50 €. A reduced fee of 20 € applies for students, doctoral researchers, professional artists or other unwaged participants.
There is also a one-day ticket (20€) for those who can participate only on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
The participation fee covers all sessions, catering during the coffee breaks and the closing reception. If spaces are available, post-registration is available during the event at the event info desk.
Concert tickets for Wednesday and Friday evening concerts will be available at the Sibelius Museums ticket office.
Students have free admission to the program, with the exception of concerts and workshops. Free student registration does not include refreshments, a program booklet, or a name tag. We recommend paying the reduced admission fee if you want to enjoy the full Aboagora experience!
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.