6.2. — 1.3.2026

The title of the exhibition refers to a feeling known as cute aggression.

It can arise when encountering something overwhelmingly cute: for example, a kitten that is so adorable you feel the urge to squeeze it, not to harm it, but because the sudden emotion is simply too intense to process. In cute aggression, two opposing feelings take over the body at the same time, causing something inside you to waver.

In the works of the exhibition, technology appears strange and soft. Their cute appearance and bright colors, combined with artificial movement, may evoke a contradictory sensation. Humans often experience a feeling of unease when encountering robots that resemble living beings but remain too distant from the natural.

The material choices of the works have been shaped by what the creatures need in order to move. The technical realization of mechanical beings requires great care. The digital and physical worlds must function together: if the form does not hold, air escapes and movement fails to emerge. If the rhythm of the code is not right, a caterpillar may burst. Sometimes a creature does not awaken at all – its silicone skin has been too fragile.

One of the key materials in the works is the air of the room, which fills the empty spaces around us. Air flows into the openings of the creatures and is released back out. We both use the same air, so that we may be alive for a moment.

The soundscape of the exhibition has been created by Eemeli Dahlberg.

Laura Dahlberg (born 1991) is a sculptor who uses robotics and new materials in her work. The themes of her works focus on the coexistence of technology and other species, as well as the animistic elements that emerge in the interaction between them. She is interested in creating spaces where we can experience a connection with mechanical objects.

Dahlberg graduated as a visual artist from Saimaa University of Applied Sciences in 2016 and earned her Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts, Uniarts Helsinki in 2022. Her most recent exhibitions were a solo exhibition at HAM Gallery in Helsinki and group exhibitions at Onoma Summer Exhibition in Fiskars and Galleria Rostrum in Malmö. Her works can be found in the collection of the Helsinki Art Museum.