A Unique Site-Specific Art Exhibition Opens in Övermark During the Summer of 2026

The Hidden Spots invites you to explore the old house, memories and stories that have fallen into obscurity in Ostrobothnia. The site-specific exhibition extends out into the rooms of the house and encourages visitors to interact with the environment. The works encourage to search for layers that are hidden, forgotten and invisible in the space. In the house, it seems as if time has stopped: the objects and structures carry traces of the people who have lived there.

The exhibition has been produced by the international artists Bekim Hasaj and Valentina Gelain, who now live and work in Ostrobothnia. They have been working together as the group Black Box Genesis since 2018 and as an artist duo since 2023.

Last year, the artist duo held the exhibition at the same location during three weekends. This summer, it will be expanded into a month-long exhibition, which will be supplemented with new works and stories in collaboration with sound artist Stefan Backas. An exhibition opening and workshops will be organized in connection with the exhibition.

Part of A Multidisciplinary Project

The Hidden Spots is part of the multidisciplinary project What is Left in the Temple of Memory, where the relationship between time, memory and space is examined in abandoned environments. The works deal with observation, change and transience: what remains and what disappears. The art exhibition is open 4.7–2.8.2026 at Dermossvägen 20, 64610 Övermark. The artists will be on site during the exhibition’s opening hours on Wednesday and Thursday from 12–17 and from Friday to Sunday from 12–18.

This year’s exhibition is part of the regional art museum activity of the Vaasa Museums. As the regional museum of Ostrobothnia, Vaasa Museums promote art and the cultural environment in the area and develop ways to implement them.

Hasaj and Gelain work with a variety of methods, including installations, video, sculptures, site-specific and interactive art, as well as poetry. Their works explore memory, corporeality, spatial concepts, and the human relationship to their environment. They are currently developing a project that promotes contemporary and public art in rural and sparsely populated areas.

The project has received support from the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Svensk Österbottniska Samfundet, The Swedish Cultural Foundation In Finland, and the Finnish Cultural Foundation. The artists thank the homeowners Roger Palmroos and Camilla Ågren for their cooperation.