University of Helsinki
Who gets to say what angels are and what they look like? This is the defining question of the Whose Angels? research project, in which we create and study contemporary angel imagery.
The project combines scholarly and artistic work in a creative process. At the heart of it, are the photographic works by visual artist Hanne Kiiveri and their viewers. An exhibition compiled of her angel photographs will tour the Helsinki metropolitan area during 2024. In this way, you can encounter angels e.g. at the mall, at the art gallery, at church, and on the Internet.
Thoughts evoked and reactions provoked by the images will be collected with an open questionnaire and in workshops. People can also sign up and volunteer to design and realize new angel photographs in collaboration with Kiiveri. The ethnographic documentation of this process will result in new research material. The new set of angel photographs will be presented at a final exhibition. In addition, the project will produce publications.
The Whose Angels? project has received funding from the Kone Foundation for the years 2023-2026, and is affiliated to the discipline of the Study of Religion of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki.
