18 – 20 September 2026, Loviisa
What happens when art takes on the role of a scientific laboratory researcher? What kinds of new knowledge can art discover, and what can it be used for?
For one weekend in September, the idyllic town of Loviisa transforms into the university town of the whimsical Kucku University and presents the research findings of the Faculty of Art, Sustainability, Rest and Whatever from the past two years.
This three-day contemporary art festival hilariously combines different art forms with field research and university orientations. At Kucku University, you get to play the role of a researcher under the guidance of lecturers, professors and the festival handbook.
The research material includes, among other things, an art safari, aerial dancers, space-time works, films, exhibitions, literary art, theatre, and of course a grand rooster whistle concert. Workshops, discussions and lectures are also available for those who wish to dive a little deeper into the research. Saturday evening culminates in a talk show gala dinner with surprise guests – Kucku University style!
The festival experience offers alternative ways of knowing, controlled getting lost, and the seeds of new ideas. Side effects may include prolonged curiosity, mental liberation, hope, and a mild desire to make the world a better place.
With University of Kucku, the already 11-year-old Kucku Festival grows into a biennial where the world comes to Loviisa. In the Kucku residency programme, curated around the festival theme, local and international professional artists learn from one another, and create something new together. For audiences, this means an even more diverse programme: new voices, art forms, questions and encounters – as well as the opportunity to see their own small town through different eyes, if only for a moment.
Locations
07900 LOVIISA
Kucku University Campus:
Kino Marilyn (Kuningattarenkatu 17), Seurahuone (Itäinen Tullikatu 7), Lovisa City Museum (Puistokatu 2), Kucku Space (Brandensteininkatu 11), Loviisan Sanomat house (Sibeliuksenkatu 10), Lovisa Theatre, Fire Brigade House Stage (Itäinen Tullikatu 17 A), Myllyharju Forest, Kappelinpuisto park
Getting there
Parking in Loviisa is free, making it easy to reach the town centre by car. A festival bus is being planned, operating the route Helsinki–Sipoo–Porvoo–Loviisa on Friday and returning after the programme ends on Sunday.
Dates
18 – 20 September 2026
Languages
Finnish, Swedish, English
Age recommendation
Curious people of all ages
Tickets
Kucku University Dinner is paid for in advance or upon arrival; otherwise, the festival programme is free of charge
Accessibility
Unfortunately, not all venues are accessible, but we strive to ensure that every visiting researcher can experience as much of the programme as possible. More detailed accessibility information is provided for each individual work
University credit stamps
Each artwork has its own stamp, which can be collected on, for example, an old shirt or a pair of overalls. The stamps are washable. Bring your own garment and create your own Kucku uniform!
What does Kucku mean?
Kucku Stone is a observation tower in Myllyharju forest in Loviisa, designed by the architect K. Hjelt and often described as one of the most beautiful in Finland.
In addition, “kucku” is the call of the cuckoo bird, with which it announces its territory and which, in earlier times, was associated with many different folk beliefs and superstitions.
Kucku can also mean that someone or something is a little odd, quirky, or slightly eccentric; you might say that someone is “a bit kucku.”
Organisers
Loviisa Contemporary Association, Stödföreningen för Lovisa Konst rf & Kucku Residency
Follow the updates!
The programme, schedules and other details will be published on this page, on Facebook and on Instagram during the summer and early autumn.
