**Reimagining Nature: Bioart from the North** was an exhibition featuring artist-researchers Satu Miettinen, Heidi Pietarinen, Amna Qureshi, and Melanie Sarantou from the University of Lapland in Finland. It opened on December 4, 2025, at the Embassy of Finland in Windhoek. This exhibition explored innovative intersections of bioart, design, and science, all inspired by the natural environment of northern Finland. The artist-researchers behind this exhibition were the founders of the BioARTech Laboratory, established in 2019 at the University of Lapland. They shared a deep respect for Arctic nature and its by-products, discovering new ways to incorporate organic and biological materials into their creative practices. Their work emphasised how art could serve as a bridge between human and non-human worlds, fostering dialogue and shared authorship across disciplines and species. Featured works included a triptych that reimagined natural materials through photography and textile art, delving into themes of transformation and collaboration between art and science. A highlight of the exhibition was “Kasvio – Still Life of Plants” by Satu Miettinen, which was a photographic exploration of plants, including rowanberry, swamp puffer, lingonberry, milk thistle, and common flowers like gerbera (African daisy), cloves, and chrysanthemum. In this arrangement, plants from both northern and southern regions intermingled. “Kasvio” invited viewers to examine the intricate details of these plants and flowers from everyday environments, encouraging relaxation and mindfulness as they focused on their colours, shapes, and imagined scents. The summer nights featuring swamp puffer transported viewers into another world. Additionally, the exhibition showcased experiments with discarded Arctic raw materials, featuring pieces titled “Reindeer Blood” and “Roots Stitching.” These works were transformed into textiles and digital artworks exhibited internationally in Prague, Windhoek, and Antwerp. The textiles acquired a new three-dimensional quality, spreading and flowing like a cloak.

Exhibition Opening: December 4, 2025, | Embassy of Finland, Windhoek, Namibia. 

Related research: Heidi Pietarinen, Miettinen, S., & Sarantou, M. (2022). Biotaidetta tarkasteleva laboratorio. Tahiti, 12(3), 111-120. https://doi.org/10.23995/tht.121885