Special Lecture: Minna Valjakka
“Towards Ecological Conjunctions of Contemporary Arts and Natural Sciences”

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Minna Valjakka, researcher and Associate Professor at the University of Helsinki, for a special lecture.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 18:00-19:30
Venue: GA Lecture Room (4F), TAKI PLAZA, Ueno Campus, Tokyo University of the Arts (MAP No.19)

Presenter: Minna Valjakka (Senior Researcher / Associate Professor of Art History and Asian Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland)
Moderator: Yoshitaka Mori (Professor, Tokyo University of the Arts)

Organizer: Yoshitaka Mori Lab, Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
Language: English

Abstract

In the 21st century, renewed interest in art–science collaborations has prompted discussions of a ‘new’ art movement. Yet the relationship between visual arts and the natural sciences has evolved through complex processes of mutual inspiration, co-creation, and unequal colonial entanglements. The EcoConjunctions project explores how contemporary art–science collaborations are shaped by these historical and epistemological trajectories, and how they can contribute to civil society formation and sustainable futures across diverse socio-political contexts (Finland, Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia). Drawing on the dynamic theory of civil society (Klein and Lee 2019), models of knowledge generation in art–science–technology initiatives (Paterson et al. 2020), and studies of the arts’ role within civil society (Valjakka 2021, 2023), the project develops an interdisciplinary analytical framework. Through case studies such as Lifepatch (Indonesia), IHME Helsinki (Finland), and the Periferia art exhibition (Finland), this talk highlights the diversity of art–science initiatives, their methods of generating and incorporating knowledge, and their aims of enhancing environmental awareness.

*Yoshitaka Mōri Research Lab is working with EcoConjuntions Project as a Collaborator in Japan.

Dr Minna Valjakka (Senior Researcher / Associate Professor of Art History and Asian Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland)

Dr. Minna Valjakka explores artistic and creative practices in East and Southeast Asia through locally embedded research, drawing on eco-critical art studies, urban studies, and environmental humanities. She is particularly interested in how diverse practices engage with transcultural processes, environmental issues, and civic sphere. Her multi-sited approach is reflected in a wide range of publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and exhibition catalogues. In addition to writing a monograph on arts, plants, and their (im)material remediations, Dr. Valjakka leads a new interdisciplinary project, Ecological Conjunctions: Contemporary Arts and Natural Science Collaborations for Civil Society Formation (EcoConjunctions), funded by the Research Council of Finland (2024–2028).

minna.valjakka@helsinki.fi, https://www.minnavaljakka.com/ecoconjunctions