Malmi is not the same for everyone, it is diverse like a city within a city. The ever-expanding district is home to 26,000 people, but it is also a place of work, transit and even a holiday destination.
"The exhibition is a tribute to the diversity of Malmi. Each person selected for the pictures has a different relationship with Malmi", the artists say.
The photos were taken by Photographer Anna Autio, and the texts were written by Journalist Kaisa Viitanen. The ‘Mun Malmi’ exhibition will be hung on the construction site fence behind Cultural Centre Malmitalo. The photos and texts will be on display during the renovation of the park, i.e. for about a year.
The pictures tell the story of many different types of people in Malmi
Veikko Halmetoja and Jussi Perämäki moved to Malmi from Itäkeskus.
"A lot of our friends have had preconceptions about Malmi, but once we got them here, they were ecstatic. It’s a surprise to many people that Malmi also has such a lush hill fill of wooden houses", says art gallery owner Halmetoja.
Jessika Ahonen, 13, is a fourth generation Malmi native, but she hasn’t been able to talk to her parents lately. Fortunately, she has found trustworthy adults at the Malmi Youth Centre.
Not everyone calls Malmi home, but it can still be a special place for them.
Georgette Singbe spent six weeks in Malmi in early autumn 2025. She lived in a friend’s guest room and visited the Malmi swimming hall many times. "Women of all ages swam without body shame. In my home country of Benin that would not be possible".
Mirella Ablaoui listens to the people of Malmi for a living, as she is the first receptionist specialising in encounters in Helsinki’s cultural centres. "I see loneliness in Malmi. For many people in Malmi, I am the only person they talk to during the day".
Twenty years ago, Valari Tynkkynen played with graphics software to create a cheeky version of the Miami Vice logo. Every year, dozens of Malmi residents have Tynkkynen’s illustrations tattooed on their skin.
The exhibition is a co-production between Cultural Centre Malmitalo and the City of Helsinki.
