Ilkka Pitkänen
Basic information
b. 1981, Helsinki
Artist
Residence: Helsinki
Contact information
Phone number: 0405222770
Email: ilkka(at)ile1.com
Artist’s Statement
(3.8.2025)
Ilkka Pitkänen (b. 1981) is a Helsinki-based visual artist who works in multiple disciplines, including media art, moving image, photography, installation, and performance. He earned a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki, in 2013. His work has been exhibited both in Finland and internationally.
From 2016 to 2024, Pitkänen has been actively involved in administrative roles and positions of trust within the visual arts field. He contributed to the advancement of the arts in Finland as chairman of the Artists' Association MUU and as a board member of the Association of Finnish Artists from 2017 to 2020. He was also a founding member and the first chairman of the art community Yö, serving from 2020 to 2022.
Additionally, Pitkänen has served as president and vice president of the Finnish Media Art Network, chair of Kuvasto ry's appointment committee for several years, and vice chair of Frame Contemporary Art Finland’s council.
Pitkänen is one of the main organizers of Aletheia Fest, a multidisciplinary arts festival held annually in Raasepori. Since 2017, he has also served as chairman and founding member of the organizing association Aletheia ry.
Before transitioning to full-time visual art practice in 2014, Pitkänen worked in television and film production, holding roles such as editor, animator, and graphic designer. He has collaborated with Finnish visual artists, completed commissioned works for museums, and created video visualizations for interdisciplinary projects.
Pitkänen’s most recent solo exhibition was held at Gallery Katariina in Helsinki, Finland, in July–August 2025.
In 2024, Pitkänen participated in group exhibitions in Finland and Armenia and carried out eight public performances and other performative art projects. These included the Traumadisko performance event in May 2024 at the Ars Longa building in Kalasatama, organized together with Inari Virmakoski and other performance artists. In the autumn of 2024, his new participatory media art piece UP'L was displayed at the MUU Media Art Fair at the Cable Factory, Helsinki in October 2024.
Ilkka Pitkänen (b. 1981) is a Helsinki-based visual artist who works in multiple disciplines, including media art, moving image, photography, installation, and performance. He earned a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki, in 2013. His work has been exhibited both in Finland and internationally.
From 2016 to 2024, Pitkänen has been actively involved in administrative roles and positions of trust within the visual arts field. He contributed to the advancement of the arts in Finland as chairman of the Artists' Association MUU and as a board member of the Association of Finnish Artists from 2017 to 2020. He was also a founding member and the first chairman of the art community Yö, serving from 2020 to 2022.
Additionally, Pitkänen has served as president and vice president of the Finnish Media Art Network, chair of Kuvasto ry's appointment committee for several years, and vice chair of Frame Contemporary Art Finland’s council.
Pitkänen is one of the main organizers of Aletheia Fest, a multidisciplinary arts festival held annually in Raasepori. Since 2017, he has also served as chairman and founding member of the organizing association Aletheia ry.
Before transitioning to full-time visual art practice in 2014, Pitkänen worked in television and film production, holding roles such as editor, animator, and graphic designer. He has collaborated with Finnish visual artists, completed commissioned works for museums, and created video visualizations for interdisciplinary projects.
Pitkänen’s most recent solo exhibition was held at Gallery Katariina in Helsinki, Finland, in July–August 2025.
In 2024, Pitkänen participated in group exhibitions in Finland and Armenia and carried out eight public performances and other performative art projects. These included the Traumadisko performance event in May 2024 at the Ars Longa building in Kalasatama, organized together with Inari Virmakoski and other performance artists. In the autumn of 2024, his new participatory media art piece UP'L was displayed at the MUU Media Art Fair at the Cable Factory, Helsinki in October 2024.
Current information
Solo exhibition, "Æther", Galleria Katariina, Helsinki, Finland 25.7.-17.8.2025
Multidisciplinary performance, Five penny black magic, working group, Yö Fest vol. 5.5 Festival, Helsinki, Finland 3.5.2025
Multidisciplinary performance, Wörther, working group, Yö Fest vol. 5.5 Festival, Helsinki, Finland 3.5.2025
Solo Exhibition, "Baumtanz", w/ Ilari Edelmann, Yö Galleria, Helsinki, Finland 29.4.-3.5.2025
Public performance, "Pan (önelö)," w/ Inari Virmakoski, Helsinki, Finland 5.4.2025
Multidisciplinary performance, "ALETHEIA: Lykantropia", w/ Aletheia (Kalle Ahonen & Ilari Edelmann), Yö Kekri vol. 3, Helsinki, Finland 27.10.2024
Multidisciplinary performance, Røntgen Meeting, working group, Yö Kekri vol. 3, Helsinki, Finland 26.10.2024
Public performance, "Mefisto", SOMA Marseille, France 18-19.10.2024
Group exhibition, "Muu MediataideTori", Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland 17.-21.10.2024
Group exhibition,"City points", Gyumri Art Week, Gyumri, Armenia 4.-23.8.2024
Public performance, "Best before", Aletheia Fest '24, Pohja, Finland 3.8.2024
Multidisciplinary performance, Röntgen Meeting, working group, Yö Fest vol. 4.5, Helsinki 8.5.2024
Multidisciplinary performance, "Yön sinfonia", w/ Ilari Edelmann, Yö Fest vol. 4.5, Helsinki 5.5. 2024
Public performance, "Five penny black magic" w/ Markus Bonsdorff & Svante Knuus, Yö Fest vol. 4.5, Helsinki, Finland 4.5.2024
Public performance, "Kipupiste", Traumadisco, Helsinki, Finland 7.4.2024
Performance event, Traumadisco, w/ Inari Virmakoski, Helsinki, Finland 7.4.2024
Multidisciplinary performance, "HYPERBOREA: in the garden of Apollo", w/ Aletheia (Kalle Ahonen and Ilari Edelmann), Yö Kekri vol. 2 Festival, Helsinki, Finland 27.10.2023
Media performance and installation, "Synd", Art Sauna, Steam of Life, Gröndal, Stockholm, Sweden 12.8.2023
Public performance, "Five penny black magic" w/ Markus Bonsdorff & Svante Knuus, Aletheia Fest '23, Raasepori, Finland 29.7.2023
Public screening of Kein Schlaf (2012), Totuus Fim Fest, Raasepori, Finland 28.7.2023
Group exhibition, "Passé composé", Yö Galleria, Helsinki, Finland 20.5.-1.6.2023
"Vedenpintoja...", exhibition with artist Isabel Pathirane, HAA Gallery, Helsinki, Finland, 4.5.–28.5.2023
Group exhibition, Yö Fest vol. 3.3 , Helsinki, Finland 31.3.-9.4.2023
Gesamtkunstwerk: WOM w/ Ilari Edelmann & Isabel Pathirane, Yö Fest vol 2.5, Helsinki, Finland 12.5.2022
Screening of Carefree City, Vokzalnaya, St. Petersburg, Russia 10.3.2022
Sneg i solntse / снег и солнце, exhibition with artist Alena Tereshko, Albatross, Helsinki, Finland 21.4.-14.5.2022
Commissioned work, "Rest-O,Rama", Hotel and Restaurant Museum, Helsinki, Finland 8.10.2021-31.12.2030
Public performance, "Elu kahjustab tervist", The Great Festival Day, Pärnu, Estonia 24.7.2021
Screening of "Carefree City", Chronotop Contemporary Art Festival, Vyborg, Russia 9.7.2021
"Myö - Performance Art Visions", exhibition with performance artist Inari Virmakoski, Galleria Huuto, Helsinki, Finland 10.1.-2.2.2020
"Illankoi", public performance, Lapinlahti Flamboyant, Helsinki, Finland 15.8.2019
Screening of Örö24h (2018) at Art Fair Suomi '19. Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland 23.-26.5.2019
Group exhibition, "Revolta de finlandesos" w/ Johannes Länsiö and K.H. Krohn, Galeria A 17, Palma de Mallorca, Spain 22.-30.9.2018
Commissioned works, "A Carefree City", Villa Hakasalmi, Helsinki, Finland 14.9.2018-1.9.2019
Media performance w/ Aletheia (Kalle Ahonen and Ilari Edelmann), Kokeile Festival II, Porvoo, Finland 15.12.2018
Solo exhibition, "Örö24h", Forum Box - Mediabox, Helsinki, Finland 5.-28.1.2018
Aletheia w/ Ilari Edelmann, St. John´s Church, Helsinki, Finland 27.12.2017
Screening of Jenny (2015) at Art Fair Suomi '17. Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland 25.-28.5.2017
Solo exhibition, "Ad Infinitum", Galleria Huuto, Helsinki, Finland 10.-27.11.2016
Solo exhibition, "Dérivia", MUU Kaapeli gallery, Helsinki, Finland 8.4.-15.5.2016
Screening of Jenny (2015) at Off-AFF, Artova Film Festival, Helsinki, Finland 20.8.2015
Screening of Nausea (2012) at Flow Festival 2015 - Art Laboratory, Helsinki, Finland 14.-16.8.2015
Exhibition with composer Ilari Edelmann, Galleria Huuto - Pikkujätkä, Helsinki, Finland 3.-18.10.2015
Solo exhibition, "Zen-stones", Galleria Å, Turku, Finland 17.7.-9.8.2015
Public screening of Déjà-vu (2010), MUU Gala, Helsinki, Finland 15.12.2014
