Finissage: Aino Väänänen – Dandelions

FINISSAGE of the Exhibition Visiting Art/ist 2025 – Aino Väänänen: Dandelions

As the tenth exhibition in the Visiting Art/ist programme, Dandelions by Aino Väänänen is coming to an end. We warmly invite you to join us and the artist on May 28 from 6 PM to mark the closing of the exhibition together.

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Dandelions is a long-term documentary photography project that Aino Väänänen has been developing since 2018. Through immersive photography in Romania’s major cities, she documents the opioid crisis, people living with or at risk of HIV and their struggle with addiction. Her approach has evolved from traditional portraiture towards a more immersive style that compassionately reflects the intensity and complexity of her subjects’ world.

Working at a deliberately slow pace, Väänänen spends several days with each person she photographs, creating space for genuine encounters and mutual trust. In Romania’s urban landscapes, she has witnessed a reality colored by chaos, survival, and love. Through long-term commitment and trust-based relationships, she has gradually documented a world in which these elements intertwine.

Given the stigma often associated with drug addiction, Väänänen finds it important to portray individual stories in an empathetic yet honest way, aiming to humanize the discourse around addiction.