The summer exhibitions spread out around the different parts of the building – with opening events, guided tours as well as side events. All exhibitions have free-entry. Welcome to experience art!
Valve’s opening hours during the heart of summer between the 23rd of June–26th of July:
♥ Tue–Fri at 1–7 PM
♥ Sat–Sun at 11 AM–5 PM
The Most Valuable Clock in the World
Tellervo Kalleinen & Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen
♥ Valvesali Hall
♥ 23rd of June–19th of July 2026
The Most Valuable Clock in the World artwork – a part of the Climate Clock public art trail – will be displayed in Valvesali Hall, in Oulu City Centre during the heart of summer! The value of the clock is formed through the time donated to it by the Oulu residents.
The artwork, created together with nearly two hundred locals, is a large electromechanical clock that displays valuable time on multiple screens surrounding the wooden clockwork. The clock shows donated moments in an hour-, minute- and second-long videos. The hour hand reflects Oulu nature’s annual cycle, the minute hand shows meaningful everyday moments for Oulu residents, and the second hand flashes glimpses of special moments.
Join us for the exhibition opening at Valve on Tuesday the 23rd of June at 5 PM.
Held Meanings – Exhibitions and Encounters
Kemê and Arlene Tucker
♥ Valve Gallery
♥ 23.6.–1.8.2026
Held Meanings is an ongoing dialogue about symbols, care and protection. The exhibitions (5) Take My Hand by Kemê and Held by Arlene Tucker inhabit the two rooms of Valve Gallery in conversation with one another and invite others to join through public encounters.
The exhibition opening event is held on Tuesday the 23rd of June at 6–8 PM. The artists are present at the opening, and will create a bridge between the exhibition’s works through a performance
There will be workshops and side events held at the exhibition (in English). More information about the side events >>
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- 24th of June at 4:30–6:30 PM Workshop: Did You Realise?
- 25th of June at 4:30–6:30 PM Workshop: Symbols of Protection (Create Your Own)
- 27th of June at 11 AM–12:30 PM In Dialogue: Conversations, Rituals, and Guided Tour
- 1st of August at 2:30–4 PM Guided tour & conversation
SmilingOulu26 – Moving Together Towards a More Inclusive World
Augmenters Cultural Association
♥ Restaurant Valveen Paljetti Exhibition Space
♥ 23rd of June–23rd of July 2026
The exhibition presents the results of the SmilingOulu26 project. SmilingOulu26 is a year-long photography competition, which aims to highlight the stories of minorities and lonely individuals and to create conversation about the power of community and feeling seen.
There will be a workshop held at the exhibition on Thursday the 23rd of July at 3–5:30 PM.
Pelekääkkö nää polliisia?
Phan Nguyen, Vinayak and Yujie Zhou – curators Katie Lenanton and Farbod Fakharzadeh
♥ Photo North – Northern Photographic Centre’s Gallery
♥ 9th of May–30th of August 2026
The exhibition presents a collection of expanded photographs that dive into the local history and stories of power dynamics, by working with archive sources, testimonies, speculations and humor.
Pelekääkkö nää polliisia?— Are you scared of the police? This question is often posed rhetorically, as a humorous way to showcase the local dialect of Oulu. Yet policing—and resistance or compliance towards it—has long been enshrined in this city’s public and cultural spaces, and in the collective memories of its inhabitants. In 1990 young people rioted in the centre of town in response to police presence. This event has been described as Finland’s single “non-political riot”.
Shattered Marble
Panu Johansson
♥ Photo North – Northern Photographic Centre’s Foyer Gallery
♥ 9th of May–30th of August 2026
Shattered Marble exhibition reflects on changes in the northern landscape, presented as mosaic-like, Polaroid-based photographs. Johansson is fascinated by their process-oriented nature, uniqueness, lo-fi aesthetics and historical uses. This body of work records the transformation of the landscape in Sápmi, northern Norway, including the loss of glaciers.
Jos vaatteet osaisivat puhua…
Alli-Liis Vandel, Arttu Karvonen, Linda Aura
♥ Pop Up Gallery Kamari
♥ 30th of May–31st of July 2026
In the Jos vaatteet osaisivat puhua… (eng. If Clothes Could Talk…) exhibition elderly people from Estonia and Finland, share stories through personally significant and special pieces of clothing and accessories. The exhibition is a shared visual story between two neighbouring countries, which brings alive these memories through photographs, sound and texts.
Installation: Ääniä (wc)tiloissa 2
eng. Sounds (wc)spaces 2
Nicolas “Leissi” Rehn
♥ Basement floor
♥ Starting from the 7th of July 2026
Comic Originals
Lauri Mäkimurto
♥ Comics Gallery!
♥ 6th of June–29th of July 2026
Need facilities for your activities or events?
Several of Valve’s facilities can be booked throughout the summer: dance studios, Studio Cinema, meeting room, Kantti crafts workshop, comics and animation classroom and Valveen Paljetti’s stage.
Side Events
The program at Held Meanings – Exhibitions and Encounters
Workshop: Did You Realise?
Wed 24th of June at 4:30–6:30 PM
Let’s explore what feels meaningful to you right now through reflective dialogue, writing prompts, drawing and movement exercises. Workshop is in English.
Workshop: Symbols of Protection (Create Your Own)
Thu 25th of June at 4:30–6:30 PM
Join us to create our own symbols and narratives of protection through guided dialogue and artistic means. The artwork and outcomes created in these two workshops could be incorporated into the exhibition with consent from the participants. Your participation will also act as an invitation for others to join the dialogue. Workshop is in English.
In Dialogue: Conversations, Rituals, and Guided Tour
Fri 27th of June at 11 AM–12:30 PM
Join us in this three-part gathering: we begin with a small performative rituals around protection, care and holding; continue with a guided tour through the gallery; and close with a conversation with local participants about everyday symbols, their translation into gestures, and their relationship to identity and heritage. Workshop is in English.
Guided tour & conversation
Sat 1st of August at 2:30–4 PM
Workshop in SmilingOulu26 exhibition
Portrait Photography Workshop
Thu 23rd of July at 3–5:30 PM
The SmilingOulu26 portrait photography workshop teaches us what it takes to shoot a great photo, and what it consists of. We practice together, take photos of each other and learn how to be on both sides of the lens. The workshop also focuses on the composition of black-and-white photography and how to get the best possible outcome out of it. We’ll go over what contrast, light and shadows do to a photo.
Consistent with the SmilingOulu26 theme, we will be using a phone camera to work. The workshop is not technical, but creative and thought provoking. Workshop has a relaxed atmosphere and is suitable for all, no matter the prior experience. The goal is to invite reflection, encourage to observe the subject as well as the surroundings in a new way. The workshop is taught in Finnish and English.