ABOAGORA 2026: Mercury, the Winged Messenger
Aboagora, a well-established part of the cultural life in Turku, will be organised again in September, this time with the theme Mercury, the Winged Messenger.
Among the main speakers of the science and art event will be the researcher and author Timo R. Stewart, who brings together today’s challenging communications landscape with the opportunities and ethics of research.
Aboagora is a meeting place for science and art creators and the public. This year’s symposium examines winged words and metaphors in science, art and society, as well as their effects on communication and societal discussion. The effects of climate change on the animal world are also in focus, including how changing conditions affect birds’ migration patterns.
The three-day event will be held for the 16th time at the Sibelius Museum in Turku, from 23 to 25 September 2026.
Agora sessions – open keynote lectures
The event’s keynote lectures, known as Agora sessions, are open to everyone and free of charge. This year, the event has three keynote speakers, or agorists:
23.9.2026 | 16:30–17:30
How to navigate an information war?
Timo R. Stewart, researcher and author (Centre for European Studies, University of Helsinki)
24.9.2026 | 16:30–17:30
Death in Kaija Saariaho’s last composition
Susanna Välimäki, Professor of Musicology (University of Helsinki)
25.9.2026 | 16:30–17:30
Migration on swift wings
Susanne Åkesson, Professor (Animal Navigation Lab, Lund University
I slutet av augusti ordnas dessutom ett öppet Avant Aboagora-evenemang, där en aktuell talare belyser årets tema ur ett samtida perspektiv.
At the end of August, there will also be an open Avant Aboagora pre-event, where one topical speaker will share their thoughts on the year’s theme from a contemporary perspective
Registration and programme
With the exception of the Agora sessions, participation in Aboagora requires registration. Registration opens by the end of May. The full programme, including workshops, concerts and artistic sessions, is published on Aboagora’s website.
Aboagora is a meeting place for researchers and artists and provides space for collaboration and new creation. The project was launched during Turku’s Capital of Culture year in 2011 and is today an established actor in the field of cooperation between science and art.
Mercury, the Winged Messenger is the third part of Aboagora’s The Planets -themed season, inspired by Gustav Holst’s (1874–1934) orchestral suite of the same name.
Aboagora is organised by the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, Turku Academy of Arts, the Åbo Akademi Foundation and the Turku University Foundation. In 2026, Aboagora is supported by the Kone Foundation, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, and Svenska Kulturfonden.
