Issa Touma’s return to AR-Helsinki!
Touma is a self-taught photographer and filmmaker whose work is held in major international collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and FOMU (Antwerp). His films have received wide international recognition, with 9 Days – From My Window in Aleppo (2016) and Greetings from Aleppo (2017) earning major international awards and screenings at leading festivals worldwide.
Touma was an Artists at Risk (AR) resident at AR–Helsinki in 2014–2015. Following his residency, he returned to Aleppo and reopened the LePont Gallery for Contemporary Photography, continuing his steadfast commitment to artistic freedom and cultural life in Syria.
He has since participated in the Artists at Risk (AR) Pavilion during the 2022 Biennale in Venice. His works are currently showcased in the AR Virtual Pavilion (link in bio!).
Recently, the project «Losing Freedom of Choice,» which explored the reality of Syrian youth over the past three years, particularly the war generation of women, concluded.
During this residency in Finland, Touma engaged actively with the AR community and partners: visiting AR–Porvoo; joining fellow AR–Helsinki residents Olga Karpenko and Tatiana Christova at the Ateneum; celebrating the opening festivities of the DocPoint Documentary Film Festival with Soila Valkama from YLE among others and meeting with key cultural and institutional actors such as the Finnish Film Foundation and AVEK Audiovisual Centre.
Together with AR Co-Director Marita Muukkonen, he visited the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Parliament of Finland, where they met with MP Eva Biaudet.
We are especially happy to reunite with Tuoma in Helsinki this year as an AR-Resident at Saastamoinen Foundation. It has been a true pleasure to see him again, and to continue our collaboration while witnessing the new work and perspectives that emerged during his stay.
We look back with gratitude on the conversations, creativity, and shared commitment to artistic freedom that define our work together.
We thank Saastamoinen Foundation, The City of Helsinki, The Finnish Arts and Culture Agency (Kuvi), and the Ministry of Education and Culture for their continued support of AR-Safe Haven Helsinki residents.
