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This exhibition showcases a selection of Master’s Theses 2025-2026 from the Department of Architecture. The works represent the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture and urban studies and planning. 

Aalto University’s Department of Architecture educates professionals that make an impact in the intersection of technology and art, with a strong understanding of social, cultural, environmental and economic implications of their work. With creative exploration, transdisciplinary collaboration as well as contextual and critical thinking, the Aalto graduates are building a socially responsible and sustainable future.

Image from Heikki Myllyniemi’s Master’s thesis 'Niin hyvää betonia' (Such Good Concrete), which proposes that the Alppitalo building—which has been zoned for demolition—be preserved and converted for residential use. Myllyniemi was awarded the Wuorio Prize by the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA).

Recent and soon-to-be graduates from the major in Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art (ViCCA) showcase their artistic and curatorial research and practice. 

The works on show question how we understand, challenge and shift the world around us. Across the exhibition you will find practices that address intertwined yet specific topics such as water, ecosomatics, toxicity and healing, colour, temporalities, queer identities, memory and trauma, science and the body. The works take many forms – from sculpture to moving image, photography, writing, research, installations, and wearable art – moving across contemporary art, curatorial studies, and material and visual culture/s. There is no single thread here, and what emerges instead is a shared attentiveness to a world that keeps shifting and a curiosity about how we come to know it.

The ViCCA major (MA Art and Media) critically explores established and evolving practices across Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art. We facilitate the development of student-led learning processes within and in between these three increasingly overlapping contexts.

Image from the photo series 'Finnish Royalty: the kings and queens of Finland's drag scene' by Konsta Klemetti.

This exhibition focuses on design's role in society. The works on display push the boundaries of industrial design towards interaction design, service design, co-design and other emerging fields, where design activities can enhance the quality of people’s lives but also make an overall positive impact.

In their Master’s theses, CoID students are presenting novel approaches and key practices needed in design innovation. But they are also exploring the new roles of the designer in industry and society at large.

Image from Vili Sihvola's MA work in which he explores a ceramic printing process. Photo: Anne Kinnunen

A selection of both Master’s and Bachelor’s student films made in 2025-2026 by Aalto University’s ELO Film School. ELO Film School's task is to provide students with guidance, space and tools to help them find their own voice and artistic style. At the same time, film education has an important national task. The education is aimed at improving the technical, artistic and substantive quality of Finnish films and television programmes, while also promoting the success of domestic films in the everchanging international market. 

List of films:

MA shorts

TJ28 (28 Days Left), 2026, fiction, dir. Yasmin Najjar, MA film, 24’
SCENT OF AN ANCESTRAL DREAM, documentary, 2026, dir. Shamsil Balkis, MA film, 21’
VUOROSANAT (A Part of Unwritten), fiction, 2026, dir. Arman Zafari, MA film, 18’
MEMORABILIA, fiction, 2025, dir. Roosa Vuokkola, MA film, 20 
DANCERS ONLY, documentary, 2025, dir. Siiri Selin, MA film, 20’
ASTRO TV, fiction, 2025, dir. Magdaleena Jakkila, MA film, 29’

BA shorts

MARCO POLO, fiction, 2025, dir. Pinja Sormunen, BA film, 16’
RECAST, fiction, 2025, dir. Severi Vilkko, BA film, 16’
TUNTEMATON KOIRANI (My Unknown Dog), documentary, 2025, dir. Alvi Haapamäki, BA film, 23’
AKIRA, documentary, 2025, dir. Juho Kankaanpää, BA film, 21’

Animations

VETEEN PIIRRETTY (Drawn in Water), animation/documentary, 2025, dir. Heta Jokinen, MA film, 15’

Image: a still from Yasmin Najjar’s short film TJ28 (28 Days Left), which was selected to La Cinef, the official section of the Cannes Film Festival for short films made in film schools.

Three MA graduates in Costume Design from the years 2025–2026 present their work. The exhibition features theses related to animatronics, costume design research, and costume design for classical vocal music. In addition, costumes from the course Night Life 2 are on display; the course is part of the shared studies in the Master’s Programme in Film.

Aalto University’s degree programme ‘Costume Design: Performing Arts and Film’ at the Department of Film is the only one of its kind in Finland. The programme nurtures future professionals for the theatre, film, media and creative industries. Costume professionals work on issues of representation, characters’ personalities and motivations, and contribute to shaping new dramaturgies. The strength of exceptional costume design lies in its connection to storytelling and emotional resonance. 

Image: In the costume design for American composer Jake Heggie’s song cycle 'Camille Claudel: Into the Fire' Aino Käki explores the turbulent life of the French sculptor and uses her costumes to create her own visual microcosm within the concert hall setting. Photo: Sofia Revithi

This exhibition is a tribute to the work of animation artists. Through this magical artform, the lifeless comes to life and continues to enchant generation after generation of viewers. Aalto University’s Masters programme in Animation is the first of its kind in Finland, and its graduates are key actors in a wide network of national and international animation professionals. This exhibition presents a compilation of projects carried out over the past 4 years.

Animations are seen everywhere. At Aalto, students are not only engaging with different audiences but also testing the boundaries of animation, drawing reference to contemporary, personal, social, ethical, cultural and environmental issues. Animation has its fantastic ways to communicate complicated themes. Animation artists use various techniques, from handmade to computer generated, with a creative mind. Animation celebrates imagination!

Image: still from 'Tape' by Candace (Wing ki Hui).

This exhibition showcases thesis works that truly embody the spirit of Aalto by integrating design and technology with global business development. In their Master’s theses, IDBM students tackle complex, real-life challenges in multidisciplinary teams and develop holistic perspectives of tomorrow’s challenges. The works embrace design broadly as a method, mindset and competitive advantage. It does so by focusing on product, service and business design, technology and innovation management.

Get to know thesis projects from both Master's and Bachelor’s graduates in Visual Communication Design (VCD). The exhibition invites you to explore topics ranging from visual identities and interfaces to artistic explorations as well as speculative and strategic approaches.

This year’s theme is ~ Moving Through ~

The exhibition reflects a world in motion where creative thought continuously transforms. Each project becomes a passage where inner worlds take shape and emerge into view.

Image from Din Yam's MA work.

Meet some young talents, who are redefining the future of games and gaming! This exhibition is showcasing a selection of finalised Master's theses as well as some works in progress, all from the Game Design and Development programme. The diverse compilation of works demonstrates that the world of games and gaming culture is flourishing — offering virtually unlimited possibilities and potential.

Gaming excels at interactivity and audiovisual storytelling as well as creating atmospheres and exciting new aesthetics. But beyond the confines of the entertainment-oriented digital gaming industry exists also a thriving culture that employs games in different contexts. Could we expand our understanding of what games are capable of?

Image from ODDLI puzzle game. Team: Nestor Feijoo, Antti Kangas, Esther Calderón Morales, Uneeb Kari, Melanie Wigger, FU WEI and Vili Sihvola. 

A selection of works from Aalto University’s premier fashion and textile event, Näytös/Näyttely26, which took place in May. The annual event showcases Aalto’s comprehensive expertise in textiles, clothing, and fashion, as students graduating from both the Bachelor's Major in Fashion as well as the Master's Major in Fashion and Textile Design will present their thesis work.

Image from Näytös/Näyttely26 visual identity, which was created by Aalto's VCD students.

The Major in Sound in New Media explores, discovers and comprehends the emerging digital technology and its aural impact in society. 

Heikki Vastiala's sound installation is based on the structural vibrations of Uzbekistan's Big Solar Furnace, a monumental scientific facility located in the Tian Shan mountains. During research trips to Uzbekistan in 2025 and 2026, Vastiala studied the site's architecture using specialized high-sensitivity sensors that translate structural vibrations and resonances into sound. These experimental recordings form a literal “music of the architecture”, revealing the hidden sonic world of one of the world's most unusual megastructures and its relationship with the surrounding environment.

Photo: Heikki Vastiala