The tour was hosted by Salla Fagerström, journalist, scriptwriter, and non-fiction author from Suomen Kuurojen Historiaseura ry (The Finnish Deaf History Society). From the very beginning, it became clear that deaf individuals have contributed their artistic touch to many well-known and visible buildings and artworks in central Helsinki. Within the vicinity of the Central Railway Station alone, several landmarks and decorative elements created by deaf artists can be found.
As the tour moved from the station toward Ateneum, along Aleksanterinkatu and to Senate Square, the group reflected how the role of deaf people in notable art history has been actively overlooked, and why their contribution is still very unknown by local and tourist people alike. Either way, the tour clearly offered fascinating insights - not only into the history of deaf communities in Helsinki, but also, as participants observed, into the broader narrative of deaf experiences throughout Finland.
We warmly recommend exploring the largely forgotten but deeply rooted deaf heritage of Helsinki’s architecture and cityscape through the tour by Suomen Kuurojen Historiaseura (The Finnish Deaf History Society). While it highlighted aspects of the country’s art history, it was also the resilience of deaf individuals and their use of handcrafts as a means of societal integration that left a strong impression.
This article was written by research assistant of the WEIRD project Helena Kärppä.