Drifts Art Festival returns for its second edition, taking place from 2 to 24 September in Kontula and Itäkeskus, Helsinki. This year Drifts will focus on the theme “Ghosts” to critically think about the diverse conditions that haunt our present. The theme is explored by a group of local and international practitioners through the public program which features, for example, audiovisual performances, films, and lectures.

The Institute was able to support the travel of two artists, Nural Moser and Elvin Brandhi, to the festival through the TelepART mobility grant scheme. Elvin Brandhi’s live performance takes place from 8.30pm at the Kontula Skatepark on 10 September, with Nural Moser’s AV performance “Mutual Rituals” taking the stage at 9.10pm.

Drifts is a nomadic art platform that organises festivals, symposiums, and projects. It seeks to engage with critical dialogues and address urgent societal issues through audiovisual, performative, and discursive practices. The platform is developed through a collaborative approach to foster long-term sustainable relations with the diverse neighbourhoods and communities that build the city’s plurality. Drifts 2022 is co-directed by Soko Hwang and Giovanna Esposito Yussif. The festival programs are co-curated by the artistic directors in collaboration with Linda Lazarov, Enna Bae, and Marianne Savallampi.

Drifts Art Festival, multiple dates and locations:

2–24 September: Installation by Ho Tzu Nyen, Museum of Impossible Forms
3 September: Cultural Centre Stoa
10 September: Kontula Skatepark (featuring TelepART grant recipients Nural Moser and Elvin Brandhi)
17 September: Cultural Centre Stoa