Creative Meeting Between Cities The Future of Creative Cities 1st Edition Sapporo Oulu, FinlandCreative Meeting Between Cities – The Future of Creative Cities | (1st Edition) Sapporo × Oulu, Finland

Event ReportEvent Report

On February 6 Fri, 2026, a talk event titled “Creative Meeting Between Cities The Future of Creative Cities 1st Edition Sapporo Oulu, Finland” was held at the first-floor salon of the Sapporo Municipal Library and Information Center. Both Sapporo and Oulu are members of the Media Arts Field of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network UCCN, a network of cities that places creativity at the core of urban development and promotes international collaboration and exchange between cities. For this event, サイアフ welcomed Leevi LEHTINEN and Rosa BJÖRKLUND, representatives from two of Oulu’s winter festivals. Both Lehtinen and Björklund introduced their respective festivals and media arts initiatives in Oulu. In addition, NAKAZATO Yuima, a サイアフ2027 participating artist, joined the talk event online. Together with Sapporo-based media artist FUJIKI Jun, the speakers reflected on the activities of サイアフ School, further creating opportunities for future collaboration between the two cities.On February 6 (Fri), 2026, a talk event titled “Creative Meeting Between Cities – The Future of Creative Cities | (1st Edition) Sapporo × Oulu, Finland” was held at the first-floor salon of the Sapporo Municipal Library and Information Center. Both Sapporo and Oulu are members of the Media Arts Field of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), a network of cities that places creativity at the core of urban development and promotes international collaboration and exchange between cities. For this event, SIAF welcomed Leevi LEHTINEN and Rosa BJÖRKLUND, representatives from two of Oulu’s winter festivals. Both Lehtinen and Björklund introduced their respective festivals and media arts initiatives in Oulu. In addition, NAKAZATO Yuima, a SIAF2027 participating artist, joined the talk event online. Together with Sapporo-based media artist FUJIKI Jun, the speakers reflected on the activities of SIAF School, further creating opportunities for future collaboration between the two cities.

After introducing the speakers, Director Hosokawa outlined the purpose of the event, beginning with an overview of the UCCN. She explained how the Sapporo International Art Festival was launched as a symbolic project of “Creative City Sapporo,” reviewed サイアフ’s history, and emphasized that the festival will further strengthen intercity collaboration within the UCCN network going forward.After introducing the speakers, Director Hosokawa outlined the purpose of the event, beginning with an overview of the UCCN. She explained how the Sapporo International Art Festival was launched as a symbolic project of “Creative City Sapporo,” reviewed SIAF’s history, and emphasized that the festival will further strengthen intercity collaboration within the UCCN network going forward.

A Festival of Light and a Party on the Frozen Sea Two Festivals Enriching the Winter of Oulu, FinlandA Festival of Light and a Party on the Frozen Sea Two Festivals Enriching the Winter of Oulu, Finland

Oulu is a city of 220,000 people, 170 km south of the polar circle. The city receives about five months of snow, and while it may not receive as much snow as Sapporo, the winters are much colder. Oulu is quite an international and technological city. The ICT section is the largest part, and the city also houses many creative industry companies. 2026 marks a very important year for Oulu as the city will become the European Capital of Culture. Equipped with a large budget, this year marks a large development.

Oulu is a city of 220,000 people, 170 km south of the polar circle. The city receives about five months of snow, and while it may not receive as much snow as Sapporo, the winters are much colder. Oulu is quite an international and technological city. The ICT section is the largest part, and the city also houses many creative industry companies. 2026 marks a very important year for Oulu as the city will become the European Capital of Culture. Equipped with a large budget, this year marks a large development.

“Lumo Light Festival is held in November, as the darkness deepens. Because of the European Capital of Culture year, we are now expanding and creating new festivals around Lumo. There will be a 10-day Lumo Art Tech Festival, with the Lumo Light Festival being the biggest part. Most of our light artworks are chosen through an open call. We don’t have enough cultural spaces in Oulu, so we have to use other spaces for the year. For example, a media art exhibition will take place in a huge underground car park, and a planetarium-like orchestral concert will take place in a sports dome.” Lehtinen

“Frozen People Festival is a festival for electronic music, northern art, and winter style. The festival is a part of the European Capital of Culture official program. It is organized on top of the frozen sea called the Bothnian Bay. The landscape is also really magical because the horizon fades away and creates this illusion of a never-ending winter wonderland. So the cold, wind, snow, and ice are actually the key elements of this festival, and we try to embrace them rather than fight against them. We prefer bold and thought-provoking art pieces. The key themes for us are sustainability, inclusion, ecological responsibility, and cultural diversity. The festival itself is a big question how long will it remain possible to organize this festival on top of the frozen sea” Björklund“Lumo Light Festival is held in November, as the darkness deepens. Because of the European Capital of Culture year, we are now expanding and creating new festivals around Lumo. There will be a 10-day Lumo Art & Tech Festival, with the Lumo Light Festival being the biggest part. Most of our light artworks are chosen through an open call. We don’t have enough cultural spaces in Oulu, so we have to use other spaces for the year. For example, a media art exhibition will take place in a huge underground car park, and a planetarium-like orchestral concert will take place in a sports dome.” (Lehtinen)

“Frozen People Festival is a festival for electronic music, northern art, and winter style. The festival is a part of the European Capital of Culture official program. It is organized on top of the frozen sea called the Bothnian Bay. The landscape is also really magical because the horizon fades away and creates this illusion of a never-ending winter wonderland. So the cold, wind, snow, and ice are actually the key elements of this festival, and we try to embrace them rather than fight against them. We prefer bold and thought-provoking art pieces. The key themes for us are sustainability, inclusion, ecological responsibility, and cultural diversity. The festival itself is a big question: how long will it remain possible to organize this festival on top of the frozen sea?” (Björklund)

Insights from Nakazato’s Fieldwork in FinlandInsights from Nakazato’s Fieldwork in Finland

As part of the European Capital of Culture program, Nakazato will hold a solo exhibition in Oulu this May. Some works created through his fieldwork there will also be presented at サイアフ2027 inside the Glass Pyramid at Moerenuma Park.
As part of the European Capital of Culture program, Nakazato will hold a solo exhibition in Oulu this May. Some works created through his fieldwork there will also be presented at SIAF2027 inside the Glass Pyramid at Moerenuma Park.

“I present collections twice a year at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week under the brand YUIMA NAKAZATO. My activities are similar to the ones of contemporary artists. In 2022, I traveled to Kenya and created new textiles from discarded garments, which I presented in Paris. I consider sustainability in the fashion industry to be a crucial issue and communicate from a journalistic perspective. I am also exploring new fibers made from synthetic proteins, believing that solving challenges in the clothing industry connects to humanity’s future. For my solo exhibition in Oulu, I first traveled to Hailuoto Island and Lapland for fieldwork. Experiencing the extreme cold made me realize the origins of clothing as protection for the human body while also reminding me of human vulnerability and fragility. My Oulu exhibition will present fashion and photography inspired by these experiences. I look forward to further refining these works for presentation at サイアフ2027.”Nakazato

“I present collections twice a year at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week under the brand YUIMA NAKAZATO. My activities are similar to the ones of contemporary artists. In 2022, I traveled to Kenya and created new textiles from discarded garments, which I presented in Paris. I consider sustainability in the fashion industry to be a crucial issue and communicate from a journalistic perspective. I am also exploring new fibers made from synthetic proteins, believing that solving challenges in the clothing industry connects to humanity’s future. For my solo exhibition in Oulu, I first traveled to Hailuoto Island and Lapland for fieldwork. Experiencing the extreme cold made me realize the origins of clothing as protection for the human body while also reminding me of human vulnerability and fragility. My Oulu exhibition will present fashion and photography inspired by these experiences. I look forward to further refining these works for presentation at SIAF2027.”（Nakazato）

Fujiki Fujimori and サイアフ School InitiativesFujiki (Fujimori) and SIAF School Initiatives

Since 2023, サイアフ School has offered arts and programming outreach classes at elementary and junior high schools in Sapporo. The art unit Fujimori, led by FUJIKI Jun and Hiroko, has been responsible for developing teaching materials and presenting the results. Discussions are now underway about expanding this initiative to Oulu.


What is サイアフ School
An initiative that views サイアフ as a “school of the future.” By leveraging networks and ideas created through collaboration among artists, citizens, schools, and government, it offers opportunities for discovery, experience, and learning for all.
Since 2023, SIAF School* has offered arts and programming outreach classes at elementary and junior high schools in Sapporo. The art unit Fujimori, led by FUJIKI Jun and Hiroko, has been responsible for developing teaching materials and presenting the results. Discussions are now underway about expanding this initiative to Oulu.


*What is SIAF School?
An initiative that views SIAF as a “school of the future.” By leveraging networks and ideas created through collaboration among artists, citizens, schools, and government, it offers opportunities for discovery, experience, and learning for all.

“For サイアフ School, we developed an application for creating snowflakes. By inputting simple codes, such as points and strokes, children can easily generate various snowflake shapes. Since 2023, we have continuously updated the teaching materials and exhibition methods to ensure that both participating children and visitors can enjoy the experience.” Fujiki

“For SIAF School, we developed an application for creating snowflakes. By inputting simple codes, such as points and strokes, children can easily generate various snowflake shapes. Since 2023, we have continuously updated the teaching materials and exhibition methods to ensure that both participating children and visitors can enjoy the experience.” (Fujiki)

Towards Future Collaboration Oulu SapporoTowards Future Collaboration: Oulu × Sapporo

Following the introduction of media arts initiatives in both cities, the discussion turned to future cooperation.


“Lumo Light Festival has worked with schools with different artworks for about 13 years. This year, we worked with about 20 schools with 1000 children, and Fujimori’s artwork could be quite easily implemented into our workflow without any big changes. After the artwork has been completed, it will be presented at the Lumo Light Festival. I think this time will be more interesting for schools because they will have a chance to present their work not only in the Lumo Light Festival but also in Sapporo.” Lehtinen

“To conduct outreach classes for サイアフ School, we have to make various preparations, recruit participating schools, and coordinate schedules, which can be quite challenging, so I had assumed that building a similar system in Oulu would also be difficult. Hearing that it would be ‘no problem’ and ‘easy to implement’ was surprising and, at the same time, very exciting.” Hosokawa

“The environments of Oulu and Sapporo are similar in that both receive snowfall however, children’s impressions of snow may be similar in some ways and different in others. I’m curious to see whether such differences in perception and thinking might emerge through programming. I would also like to learn more about the current state of programming education in Oulu.” Fujiki


“Last year, we presented artworks of snow by students in the Lumo Light Festival, so it will be nice to compare what kind of different artworks we can create in the context of snow with the students. Also, as Fujiki-san mentioned, there may be differences in perspectives on snow I think there definitely will be differences. Maybe not about the snow, but the perception of snowhow we see it and how we connect our culture. The snowflakes made by Finnish and Japanese students will probably look different. [About programming] They have programming in school, starting with children from the age of 9. The people get more and more interested in game programming.” Lehtinen

“This year’s Frozen People poster and event graphics are based on video games and programming. In the past, a student who studied programming created an animated game to introduce tips on how to dress for the event.” BjörklundFollowing the introduction of media arts initiatives in both cities, the discussion turned to future cooperation.


“Lumo Light Festival has worked with schools with different artworks for about 13 years. This year, we worked with about 20 schools with 1000 children, and Fujimori’s artwork could be quite easily implemented into our workflow without any big changes. After the artwork has been completed, it will be presented at the Lumo Light Festival. I think this time will be more interesting for schools because they will have a chance to present their work not only in the Lumo Light Festival but also in Sapporo.” (Lehtinen)

“To conduct outreach classes for SIAF School, we have to make various preparations, recruit participating schools, and coordinate schedules, which can be quite challenging, so I had assumed that building a similar system in Oulu would also be difficult. Hearing that it would be ‘no problem’ and ‘easy to implement’ was surprising and, at the same time, very exciting.” (Hosokawa)

“The environments of Oulu and Sapporo are similar in that both receive snowfall; however, children’s impressions of snow may be similar in some ways and different in others. I’m curious to see whether such differences in perception and thinking might emerge through programming. I would also like to learn more about the current state of programming education in Oulu.” (Fujiki)


“Last year, we presented artworks of snow by students in the Lumo Light Festival, so it will be nice to compare what kind of different artworks we can create in the context of snow with the students. Also, as Fujiki-san mentioned, there may be differences in perspectives on snow; I think there definitely will be differences. Maybe not about the snow, but the perception of snow–how we see it and how we connect our culture. The snowflakes made by Finnish and Japanese students will probably look different. [About programming] They have programming in school, starting with children from the age of 9. The people get more and more interested in game programming.” (Lehtinen)

“This year’s Frozen People poster and event graphics are based on video games and programming. In the past, a student who studied programming created an animated game to introduce tips on how to dress for the event.” (Björklund)

In ClosingIn Closing

In preparation for サイアフ2027, more talk events will be held in the future. The next event, scheduled for March 7 Sat, will be an open discussion titled “Open Talk Event Research and Dialogue Centered on Moerenuma Park.” Guests will include fragmentina Swiss media art collective and サイアフ2027 participating artist NAKAZATO Yuimafashion designer and サイアフ2027 participating artist and a pioneer of Japanese media art, FUJIHATA MasakiExecutive Director of “Dialogue between Art and Technology DAT”, a サイアフ2027 official partner. We look forward to welcoming many participants.
In preparation for SIAF2027, more talk events will be held in the future. The next event, scheduled for March 7 (Sat), will be an open discussion titled “Open Talk Event: Research and Dialogue Centered on Moerenuma Park.” Guests will include fragmentin–a Swiss media art collective and SIAF2027 participating artist; NAKAZATO Yuima–fashion designer and SIAF2027 participating artist; and a pioneer of Japanese media art, FUJIHATA Masaki—Executive Director of “Dialogue between Art and Technology (DAT)”, a SIAF2027 official partner. We look forward to welcoming many participants.

Event OverviewEvent Overview

TitleTitle

Creative Meeting Between Cities The Future of Creative Cities 1st Edition Sapporo Oulu, FinlandCreative Meeting Between Cities – The Future of Creative Cities | (1st Edition) Sapporo × Oulu, Finland

DateDate

Feb 6, 2026 18時30分-20時Feb 6, 2026 18:30-20:00

VenueVenue

Sapporo Municipal Library and Information Center 1F SalonSapporo Municipal Library and Information Center 1F Salon

SpeakersSpeakers

Leevi LEHTINEN Lumo Light Festival Project Manager Rosa BJÖRKLUND Frozen People Executive Producer / Oulu Urban Culture NAKAZATO Yuima Fashion designer / サイアフ2027 participating artist Online participant FUJIKI Jun Art Unit Fujimori / School of Design, Sapporo City University ProfessorLeevi LEHTINEN: Lumo Light Festival (Project Manager)
Rosa BJÖRKLUND: Frozen People (Executive Producer) / Oulu Urban Culture
NAKAZATO Yuima: Fashion designer / SIAF2027 participating artist *Online participant
FUJIKI Jun: Art Unit Fujimori / School of Design, Sapporo City University (Professor)

ModeratorModerator

HOSOKAWA Asami サイアフ2027 Festival DirectorHOSOKAWA Asami (SIAF2027 Festival Director)