Caring for & Commoning the Urban Dark

The exhibition Caring for and Commoning the Urban Dark discusses urban light pollution and the importance of a more darker urban for the health of humans, wildlife and nature. 

The work Cone of Light is an immersive installation and invites visitors to step out of the center and see the night as a world shared with many others. It reveals how our lights shape the lives of animals, the forest, and the way we perceive ourselves. The work encourages embodied curiosity – a gentle re-learning of how to listen, observe, and belong beyond human scale. Cone of Light has been developed as part of the NorDark research project, funded by NordForsk.

The work Darkness Library Suomenlinna is a wooden pavilion holding the site-specific insights of Suomenlinna residents of the island's darkness. Suomenlinna is one of the darkest locations in Helsinki and serves in many ways as a valuable case study for how urban darkness plays a vital role in the everyday life of urban dwellers. Darkness Library Suomenlinna has been developed as part of Gloria Lauterbach’s research project Caring Commons, funded by Nessling Foundation.

The exhibition will be open Sept. 1 – Oct. 25, 2026.


The works are created by

Gloria Lauterbach, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Arts, Design and Architecture 
Julia Lohmann, Associate Professor, School of Arts, Design and Architecture 
İdil Gaziulusoy, Associate Professor, School of Arts, Design and Architecture 
Ana Todosijević, MA Student, School of Arts, Design and Architecture 
Matti Niinimäki, Senior University Lecturer, School of Arts, Design and Architecture 
Clint Casano, MA Student, School of Arts, Design and Architecture 
Yiwen Xu, Wood Program Graduate, Aalto University
Linson Huang, Wood Program Graduate, Aalto University

Opening hours

Opening hours during Sept: Thu-Fri 16-19 + Sat-Sun 12-18

Opening hours during Oct.: Fri-Sun 16-20