Valoa vasten - a photo exhibition of young people's observations of the city's lights and shadows

“Why does it sometimes feel like there is too much light in the city and other times too little? Flickering billboards give you a migraine and you don't want to walk through a dark park at night. Soft, warm light is always better than bright white. There is too much light on the big roads, too little in the small alleys. And if only the street lamp in front of the house shone a little less inside!”
The photo exhibition features photographs taken by young people. Photo: Ingrid

These and other young people’s thoughts about lighting in the city came up when we took a light walk in central areas with young people aged 12–17 studying photography at Annantalo in December 2025. 
We wanted to find a natural way to hear and see young people's experiences and thoughts about the landscapes of central urban spaces during the dark time of the year. The experience of young people will be taken into account in future plans for the outdoor lighting of the city centre.
The work will culminate in a photography exhibition featuring photographs depicting young people's observations and thoughts about the city, light and places where light seems to be missing.
The exhibition will be on display from 25 February to 6 March 2026 in the lobby of the Urban Environment House, at Työpajankatu 8.
 

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