In June 2025, Villa Eläintarha once again opens its doors to artists as the Myymälä2 cooperative, known for its gallery and multi-purpose facility on Uudenmaankatu in Helsinki, begins artist residency activities in the villa with support from the Helsinki International Artist Programme (HIAP). The accommodation activities will focus on international residency activities and Finnish production residencies.
“The residency programme is not restricted to representatives of a certain art discipline – instead, we welcome operators from many different art disciplines and professionals of fields such as culture production and education,” explain Egle Oddo and Natalia Alekseeva, who will be in charge of Villa Eläintarha’s upcoming activities together.
“We give first priority to professionals coming to Helsinki for concrete projects, research or events, invited by local grassroots-level culture organisations, small theatres or independent groups. If we have room, we will also accept reservations from professionals working with public institutions or foundations.”
In addition to the accommodation activities, the residency will increasingly open for Helsinki residents as well.
“We also want to launch a public event programme through which artists working in the residency will have more networking opportunities and local residents will get to enjoy the enchanting environment of Villa Eläintarha. Our programme open to the public will be published soon; we are currently working on it with our cooperation partners,” Oddo and Alekseeva reveal.
The residency activities of Villa Eläintarha are valuable to the City of Helsinki, as they contribute to the achievement of the City’s strategic objectives, supplementing the local art and culture structures. In addition to artistic work, the activities of Villa Eläintarha promote intercultural dialogue and the creation of meaningful contacts and provide a pleasant environment with room for various creative practices.
“Villa Eläintarha has always been a significant place where grassroots-level cultural operators have been able to come together, create something new and flourish together,” Oddo and Alekseeva add.
