Elina Bry, artist-in-residence through a collaboration between Photo North – Northern Photographic Centre, Street Level Photoworks in Scotland, and Art Centre KulttuuriKauppila, invites you to join communal singing sessions and swimming in Ii.
During the singing sessions, participants will explore how we can imitate natural sounds such as the rustle of wind, the babble of water, or birdsong. Without words, participants let their voices blend into the environment and become part of the landscape. What does it feel like in the body to produce sounds that resonate with nature? All exercises are done together as a group, and no one is required to perform solo. You can participate in any way you feel comfortable. During the sessions, audio material will be recorded to become part of the Adaptation exhibition at Oulu Art Museum in autumn 2026. Participants may choose to be part of the final artwork.
There will be three singing sessions in total, held at Ii Nättepori (Puistotie 1, 91100 Ii) on Mondays: June 2nd, 9th, and 16th, from 6 PM to 8 PM. No registration is required—just show up. You are welcome to attend even if you can’t make it to every session.
Throughout June, artist Elina Bry also invites local residents to join her for swimming. There will be three swimming meetings, held at Vihkosaari Beach (Illinsaarentie 6–14, 91100 Ii) on Sundays: June 1st, 8th, and 22nd, from 4 PM to 7 PM. No registration is required—just show up. You’re welcome to attend even if you can’t come to all sessions. Please bring a towel and a swimsuit.
During these meetings, participants will engage in a slow and mindful exploration of the environment using cameras and sound recorders. Together, the group will move through the water, sensing its strength and lightness, and listening to its sounds.
Exercises are done as a group, and participants are free to join however they wish. Recordings made during the sessions may become part of the exhibition opening at Oulu Art Museum in autumn 2026, giving participants the chance to be part of the final project.
About the Artist and the Project
During her residency, Elina Bry explores the relationship between humans and nature in our time marked by climate anxiety and climate change. The resulting artwork will combine moving image, sound, and performance. The piece will be featured in the main exhibition of the Adaptation project, opening at Oulu Art Museum in October 2026. Adaptationis part of the Oulu2026 cultural programme, as Oulu becomes the European Capital of Culture in 2026. Learn more about Elina Bry’s previous projects on her website.
Comment from a previous singing session participant:
“Being part of the choir has been so liberating—there’s no pressure to find the right notes, only space to experiment and let our voices follow the group and our emotions. It’s freeing to work with the seasons and the elements and let them guide us, rather than sticking to a fixed structure. There’s something truly healing about creating sound together in an organic way—it feels natural and alive.”
Photo North’s Adaptation project supports artistic, social, scientific, human, and non-human actions and collaborations from 2024 to 2027. The project is funded by the Oulu Cultural Foundation and the Kone Foundation. It continues the international research project More-than-Planet (2022–2025), which received Creative Europe funding (Grant No. 101056238), along with national co-funding from the City of Oulu and the Finnish National Agency for Education.
Further information:
Cultural Producer Katri Haapakoski
Art Centre KulttuuriKauppila
+358 40 869 8601
katri.haapakoski@ii.fi