17.7.–9.8.2026

Opening 16.7. 18:00–20:00

Christelle Mas is a French artist based in Oulu, northern Finland. For several years, her artistic research has developed through long-term collaborations with marine scientists, particularly with researchers from the Marine Research Institute in Klaipėda, Lithuania.

Working alongside scientists at sea, in laboratories and through field observations has profoundly shaped her understanding of the Baltic Sea and the environmental transformations affecting marine ecosystems. The Baltic Sea has become a central source of inspiration in her work. Semi-enclosed and slow to renew its waters, it is one of the world’s most intensively studied seas and one of its most vulnerable. Oxygen depletion, pollution and expanding dead zones make it a living laboratory for understanding ecological change. The exhibition brings together physical and digital works inspired by microscopic marine life and scientific imaging. Using microscopy, environmental data and marine samples, Christelle Mas creates hybrid organisms that exist between scientific observation and speculation. Scientific imagery is processed through the 3D visualisation software Imaris, a tool commonly used by researchers to reconstruct biological structures from imaging data. The resulting forms are printed on paper and textile, cut by hand and reassembled into large-scale photocollages.

At the centre of the exhibition is Oceanaia, a speculative scientific interactive interface populated by hybrid marine species. Through a scientific interface, visitors can observe, classify and navigate these organisms as if exploring a living database. The work reflects on how contemporary technologies shape our understanding of nature. Marine data is extracted from physical environments through sensors, seabed mapping, sediment cores and biological sampling before being transformed into digital models and visualisations. The digital is never separate from the physical; each depends on the other.
By combining scientific methods, speculative fiction and material collage, Christelle Mas explores a post-digital condition in which ecological systems, data and living organisms become increasingly intertwined.

This research continues through projects across the Baltic region, including participation in Imagining Godzilla, an art-and-science residency aboard the sailing catamaran Godzilla, where artists and researchers collectively investigate the ecological futures of the Baltic Sea while travelling through its waters. It also extends to the UPDATE Festival in Liepāja, Latvia, a Baltic coastal city and future European Capital of Culture 2027, which brings together media art, science and ecological research.

Curated by Ramiro Camelo.

Scientific advisors: Ieva Sakovskaja, Olga Berežnova, Donata Overlingė, Mikko Finnilä, Veli-Pekka Ronkainen and Ville-Pauli Karjalainen.

Developed in collaboration with researchers from the Marine Research Institute (Klaipėda
University, Lithuania), the University of Oulu and Oulu Biocenter, Finland.

Supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike).

Artist bios

Since 2024, Christelle Mas (FR/FI) and Olli Uikkanen (FI) have been collaborating on an interdisciplinary project that combines media art, game design, scientific research, and immersive technologies. Their collaboration brings together complementary areas of expertise. Mas develops the artistic direction of the projects through long-term research, collaborations and fieldwork with scientists and international partners, and the creation of visual ecosystems inspired by marine environments and speculative futures. She leads the artistic concepts, narrative frameworks, and visual content of the projects, creating immersive worlds and interactive environments in Unity inspired by scientific research, marine ecosystems, and speculative futures.

Uikkanen is responsible for the technical implementation of the projects, including programming, animation, touch-screen interfaces, and interactive systems that allow visitors to navigate and engage with the artworks.
Together, they explore new forms of storytelling that combine artistic research, scientific perspectives, and interactive technologies, creating immersive experiences that encourage audiences to actively engage with complex environmental narratives.
Christelle Mas is a France-born, Finland-based media artist and photographer whose work explores the intersection of science, technology, and environmental futures through immersive installations and interdisciplinary collaborations. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and Philosophy of Art from Sorbonne University in Paris.

Her projects have been exhibited internationally across Europe and developed through collaborations with scientific institutions, including Biocenter Oulu (Finland), the Marine Research Centre of Lithuania, and other research partners. Her works are included in the collections of the Oulu Art Museum and Kemi Art Museum. In 2024, she was selected as Visual Artist of the Year by the Northern Photographic Centre. Recent exhibitions include the Triennial of Art and Science in Klaipėda (Lithuania), Supermarket Art Fair (Sweden), CreaVa Festival (Spain), SIMULTAN Festival (Romania), Gallery Reflektor (Serbia), and the immersive media art space Kuutio at Oodi Central Library in Helsinki. In 2026, her work is presented at the Lithuanian Sea Museum in collaboration with the Marine Research Centre of Lithuania. She is a member of Bioart Society, M-Cult, Globe Art Point, Catalysti, and Artists with Evidence, an international art-science network promoting evidence-based environmental discourse through artistic collaborations.

Olli Uikkanen is a Finland-based game designer and developer who studied Game Development at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences. With over seven years of experience in game development, he has worked on commercial games, independent productions, and interactive media art projects. His professional experience includes positions at Irrelevant Games and Yahaha, where he developed and released multiple interactive projects. He has also received several awards in competitive game jams.
His practice focuses on interactive storytelling, emergent narratives, and the design of meaningful user experiences. Since 2024, he has collaborated with Christelle Mas on Oceanaia, an interactive art project exploring speculative marine ecosystems through immersive Unity-based environments. The first version of the project was presented in 2025 at the immersive media art space Kuutio at Oodi Central Library in Helsinki.

The collaborators are currently developing new iterations of Oceanaia, including a browser-based version for an upcoming presentation on the Norwegian platform isgisgisgisgisgisgisgisgisg.com, an international artist-run space dedicated to internet-based and browser-native artworks. They are also developing new formats for remote workshops that combine media art, environmental research, digital technologies, and collaborative online participation. These developments expand the project’s accessibility while exploring new ways of connecting audiences, scientific knowledge, and networked environments.