Kellokoski Hospital Museum, Summer 2026: Against Stigmatisation!
The 10th-anniversary exhibition #Stigmattomuus by the Moniääniset taiteilijat collective is the Kellokoski Hospital Museum’s summer art exhibition. They hear voices. Stigma refers to the negative label attached to and experienced by a group of people. From unashamed art activism now rises a revolutionary declaration: stigmattomuus! The Hospital Museum’s summer season begins on 16 May and the exhibition opens on 13 June.
The opening of the collective’s celebratory exhibition will take place at the Alitajunta gallery in the Kellokoski Hospital Museum on Saturday 13 June from 1 pm to 3 pm. The opening celebration is a potpourri of short artist and artwork interviews, live performances, stories and speeches, perfect for a summer’s day of cultural festivities. Joy from the past and the future. After the programme, there will be snacks and informal socialising amidst the exhibition. Join the #stigmattomuus movement.
The museum’s permanent exhibition opens on 16 May
The Hospital Museum’s permanent exhibition will open to the public on 16 May, the opening day of the Kellokoski fishing season. The museum building, which is around a hundred years old, is a sight to behold. The facades were repainted in the spring and the roof has been cleaned. The building was originally the official residence of the hospital’s first in-house doctor, but it soon became the finance office and the home of the finance manager’s family. It has also served as supported accommodation for patients returning home and as a venue for family therapy for people with schizophrenia.
The museum, founded by hospital staff in 1973, moved into the building in 2000. Its permanent exhibition highlights not only the harsh past of mental health care, but also the progress towards gentler treatment methods and a more flexible view of human nature. The colour scheme also reflected this new way of thinking: the museum building, long known as ‘hospital white’, is now known as the Blue House. Kellokoski Manor, which once served as the princess’s home, was painted pink. You can explore the manor, the hospital chapel and the therapeutic gardens on guided tours departing from the museum courtyard at 1 pm.
The Museum Shop offers a glimpse into life at a psychiatric hospital today
The tiny Museum Shop at the Hospital Museum captures the spirit of the psychiatric hospital today. On sale there are ceramics, textiles, wire sculptures, paper crafts and even houseplants, all made by patients at the neighbouring Ohkola Hospital as part of their rehabilitative work programme. The proceeds from the shop go towards patient activities at Ohkola Hospital: the hospital has been visited by therapy dogs, amongst other things.
The Kellokoski Hospital Museum aims to be a place where people can reflect on the human mind. We all experience mental health issues from time to time. We cannot always cope on our own. If the stigma and taboos – the shame and silence – are eased, it will be easier for us to seek and accept help.
Kellokoski Hospital Museum
Summer 2026: 4 June–18 July, Thursdays and Saturdays 11am–5pm;
during the ‘Come to the Museum’ weeks, 21 July–2 August, Tuesdays–Sundays 11am–5pm.
Open on the following event days: 16 May, 23 May, 22 July, 7 August, 22 August
#Stigma-Free art exhibition 13 June–7 August
Guided walks around the hospital grounds on open days at 1 pm.
Free admission.
Vanha Valtatie 198, Kellokoski
Tel. 040 314 3473
Further information:
Harri Nyman
This content has been translated using AI