Heritage of the North
2.11. - 29.01.2027 Gate 42 - Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
Long before the shores of the North fell silent, stories were born of warriors and adventurers, merchants and craftspeople. Of people who lived in harmony with nature, built their communities, and travelled across the seas to distant lands. Their lives were woven together through faith, strength, skill, and the bonds of community. Their stories have survived in sagas and legends, passed down from one generation to the next and transformed by the passage of time.
Heritage of the North takes you on a journey to an age when Vikings were both ordinary people and heroes of epic tales. Alongside warriors lived craftspeople, merchants, farmers, and adventurers. Each had a role to play, a story to tell, and a place within their community.
In these photographs, the past comes alive for a moment. These images are not windows into actual moments from history, but interpretations of what life might have looked, felt, and breathed like. The gleam of steel, the glow of fire, handmade garments and objects, and the power of human expression create a world where history and imagination meet.
Many of the costumes and accessories featured in the photographs are handmade. They carry within them traditional techniques, materials, and craftsmanship that continue to be preserved and passed on.
These stories also carry the spirit of the North “Sisu”. A spirit of resilience, courage, and the determination to keep moving forward even when circumstances are difficult. It can be seen in the gaze of a warrior, in the hands of a craftsperson, in the courage of someone setting out on a journey, and in the determination of an ordinary person simply striving to endure.
Every character, every gesture, and every detail forms part of a greater story.
This is a journey into the North, its people, their skills, their stories, and the heritage they left behind.
Welcome to Heritage of the North.
Locations
Härkälinna
Located in Hauho, Härkälinna is a large log-built castle constructed in 2005 in a medieval style. It was originally built for the Finnish television programme Suuri Seikkailu. Its forested surroundings, massive log structures, and atmospheric setting provide a striking backdrop for stories of the North.
The Ruins of Raseborg Castle
The oldest parts of Raseborg Castle date back to the late 14th century.
Once surrounded by the sea, the castle was an important centre of power and trade. Today, its ruins, stone walls, and vaulted chambers bring a tangible sense of history to the photographs and serve as a reminder of the centuries that have passed.
Rosala Viking Village
Rosala Viking Village is located on the island of Kemiönsaari, in an area that was an important maritime route and trading centre during the Viking Age. Archaeological finds from the area include coins, jewellery, amber, and objects associated with shipbuilding. The present-day Viking Village has been built using archaeological discoveries and historical research as its foundation, offering a unique setting for bringing the Viking Age to life through photography.
The Forests of Finland
The forests of Finland provide the exhibition with a natural Nordic landscape. Pine and spruce forests, rocky outcrops, wetlands, and forest lakes create an environment where the past seems present without the need for constructed scenery. For centuries, the forest has been both a vital part of Finnish life and a place filled with stories, beliefs, and myths.
Together, these places form the landscape of the exhibition.
A world where history, archaeology, nature, and imagination meet.
The photographs do not claim to be windows into the past.
Instead, they are interpretations of what the past might have looked, felt, and breathed like.
And perhaps that is where their magic lies.
Minna Wallenius
Minna Wallenius is a photographer based in Tuusula, Finland, with a passion for storytelling and immersing herself in different worlds.
For her, photography is far more than simply taking pictures, it is a journey where people, atmosphere, and fleeting moments come together to create something meaningful.
She loves giving every subject the opportunity to express their own personality, whether delicate and vulnerable, bold and rugged, or fully immersed in a historical character. The greatest joy of photography, she believes, is that every moment is unique and every session offers a new story waiting to be told.
For several years, Minna has served as Chair of the Tuusula Photographers Association and is a board member of the Finnish Federation of Camera Clubs. She is also an active participant in several collaborative TFP (Time for Photos) photography groups.
Her guiding principle as a photographer is simple: Be yourself. and let your personality shine.
Follow me and my work in instagram.
The Group
One photograph can tell the story of a person. Another can tell the story of craftsmanship.
In these photographs, stories come to life through TFP models, or Time for Photos collaborations. The models are not merely people appearing in the photographs; they are part of the story itself. They bring their own personalities, enthusiasm, and creativity, daring to step for a moment into another time and another world. The collaboration between photographer and model is born from a shared passion and a desire to create something unique. Time, skills, and creativity are exchanged for the sake of a shared result.
Many of the characters are also surrounded by things that have taken time, skill, and patience to create. The models’ costumes and accessories are not simply props chosen for the photographs. Many of them are handmade. Garments, jewellery, leatherwork, headpieces, and other details are created by skilled craftspeople who respect traditional techniques, materials, and methods.
Every handmade detail tells its own story of a time when objects could not simply be bought ready-made. They had to be made by hand. Craftsmanship was part of survival, but it was also part of identity and community. A skilled craftsperson understood their materials and knew how to transform wood, wool, leather, metal, and thread into useful objects, clothing, and ornaments.
This tradition is still alive today. When craftspeople create costumes and accessories for these photographs, they are not merely recreating a historical atmosphere. They are keeping skills and traditions alive that might otherwise gradually disappear. The past takes on a new form in the present, through human hands.
There is also something of the northern spirit in this.
Life in the North has always required resilience, patience, and the ability to adapt. Long winters, darkness, cold, and a harsh natural environment have never made life easy, but they have taught people to endure and carry on. The same spirit can be seen in these photographs.
That is why these photographs are more than staged images. They are encounters between people, craftsmanship, history, and imagination. Within them, warriors, craftspeople, adventurers, and ordinary people are given their own place once again.
Together, they tell the story of the North, its people, and the resilience that has been passed from one generation to the next.
Supporters
This exhibition would not have been possible without the people and organisations who believed in the idea and helped bring it to life.
My warmest thanks to Finnfoto for the grant that supported the creation of this exhibition. Your support has made it possible to bring this project to the exhibition space and to take this long-term photography project to the next stage.
A heartfelt thank you to Fotoman for the beautiful prints and outstanding craftsmanship. The quality of the prints brings the photographs to life and allows their stories to make a lasting impression in the exhibition space.
A special thank you to Finavia for providing this wonderful exhibition space and for giving these photographs the opportunity to reach an international audience. It is a privilege to present this work in a setting where people from Finland and from around the world can encounter the stories, characters, and spirit of the North.
A special thank you goes to all the models, who embraced their roles with courage and enthusiasm and gave these images their faces, expressions, and emotions. Without you, these stories could never have been brought to life.
Thank you also to the wonderful locations that have provided such unique settings for the photographs. The castles, ruins, Viking village, and forests of Finland have each become an integral part of these images and their stories.
This exhibition has been created through collaboration, trust, and a shared passion for history, photography, and storytelling.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey and helped make it possible.
Thank you for visiting my exhibition
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