“Dancing Exhibition Attendants” is a performance concept by the dance artist duo Taru Kallio and Tanja Kunnari, which will be featured at visual art exhibitions in Rovaniemi in June and August 2026. Dancing Exhibition Guards is an ongoing performance taking place indoors and outdoors at Galleria Värinä, Studio Napa, the Rovaniemi Art Museum, and the exhibition spaces of the Provincial Museum of Lapland at Arktikum.
What to expect?
The dancers’ workdays consist of various movement improvisation tasks. The dancers’ movements accompany and engage in a dialogue with the visual artworks in the space. Exhibition visitors can observe the dancers’ work for a fleeting moment or immerse themselves for a longer period. “We act as wordless exhibition guides and aim to awaken a physical perspective on the visual artworks,” explains Kunnari. “The performance situations unfold without a predetermined structure, full of surprises, and one dancing moment at a time,” adds Kallio. The exhibition tour is organized in collaboration with the City of Rovaniemi’s Cultural Services and is supported by the Lapland Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Schedule
Week 25
Tue, June 16, 2:00–6:00 p.m. at Galleria Värinä, free entry
Wed, June 17, 12:00–6:00 p.m. at Galleria Napa and Mustanapa, free entry
Thu, June 18, 12:00–6:00 p.m. at Galleria Napa and Mustanapa, free entry
✨ Group tours available from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, irene.tikka@rovaniemi.fi / 040 610 8776. A dance-based exhibition tour is available for senior citizen groups through Rovaniemi City Cultural Producer Irene Tikka. Duration approximately 60 minutes.
Week 26
Rovaniemi Art Museum, Korundi Cultural Center, Exhibition tickets: €13 / €10 / €7, Museum Card, Kaikukortti
Tue, June 23, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Wed, June 24, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., 1 p.m. as part of the Culture Walk
Thu, June 25, 12:00–6:00 p.m., ✨ 4:00–6:00 p.m. as part of Art Thursdays (free admission)
Fri, June 26, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sat, June 27, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sun, June 28, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Week 32
Tue, Aug 4, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Rovaniemi Art Museum
Wed, Aug 5, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Rovaniemi Art Museum
Thu, Aug 6, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. Rovaniemi Art Museum, ✨ 4–6 p.m. as part of Art Thursdays. Free admission
Fri, Aug. 7, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Arktikum
✨Fri, Aug. 7, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Group trip for Kaikukortti members to the Provincial Museum of Lapland; register with Neuvokas: info@rovaniemenneuvokas.fi, tel. 050 4544 604
Sat, Aug 8, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Arktikum, the exhibition spaces of the Provincial Museum of Lapland
Sun, Aug 9, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Arktikum, the exhibition spaces of the Provincial Museum of Lapland
Taru Kallio (b. 1998) is a dance artist and dance teacher (BFA) based in Rovaniemi. As an artist, Kallio is interested in the active agency of both audiences and performers in the performing arts, as well as collaboration between the arts and sciences. Currently, Kallio works as a dance teacher in Rovaniemi with dance enthusiasts and students of all ages.
Dance artist Tanja Kunnari (b. 1983) is active across a wide range of fields in the performing arts, working as a performer, teacher, and producer. She has studied dance at the Turku Conservatory, Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Kuopio, and Escola Superior de Dança in Portugal. Currently, Kunnari works with various improvisational techniques, bringing dance to unexpected places. In her work, Kunnari is motivated by site-specificity, stories of place, and a sense of community. These themes are evident in her solo piece *Paikan tuntu* (2025) and her walking piece *Kätketty kaupunki* (2025).
