A small glimpse of University everyday for future generations – explore photo collection’s results
In spring 2025 we asked members of the University community to capture their everyday lives in photos. In response, we received 45 shots of everyday activities and situations across the University.
The photos received this year capture meetings, training sessions, spring activities on Härkäsaari Island, and other everyday activities. In addition to staff and students, a few four-legged members of the community have also made it into the pictures.
- All the photos received are available for viewing on the University’s Flickr account.
The Helsinki University Museum Flame has also archived the photos in its collections. Thank you to everyone who sent us their contributions!
Everyday phenomena and shared cultural heritage
Susanna Hakkarainen, project planner at the museum, says the everyday photo collection is a wonderful opportunity to document the University’s recent history.
– This kind of contemporary documentation plays an important role in museums, as it allows us to capture phenomena while they’re still fresh and to gather contextual information that might be difficult—or even impossible—to retrieve when documenting older history. The fact that the collection is organized annually adds an interesting layer of depth to the documentation, Hakkarainen reflects.
Hakkarainen is delighted that the photos represent a variety of situations across different campuses and that the themes have been diverse.
– When members of the university community document their own everyday lives, it brings to light phenomena and moments that we at the museum might not even be aware of—or would never have the chance to document ourselves. This helps us preserve the University’s shared cultural heritage.
The photo collection will return next year
We will organise a new everyday photo collection campaign next year, this time in the fall of 2026. The changed time gives the opportunity to photograph and capture a new season at the University. It also gives new perspective to the photographs.
If you wish to participate in documenting day-to-day activities at the University, keep track of the news on Flamma and in the Studies Service. You can start taking photos already now!
Hakkarainen encourages everyone to take part in documenting life at the University:
– I truly hope that more and more people will take part in the collection in the future. The everyday of every community member is important, and this way, a small piece of it will be preserved for future generations. For the museum, this project is both important and meaningful, and the photos we receive for our collections are not only fascinating but also delightful. I can hardly wait to see what kinds of images will be gathered in the years to come!
More information
This was the second year we collected everyday photos. The photos from 2024 are also available on the University Flickr.
The collection is organized in collaboration between student communications, community communications, and the Helsinki University Museum Flame.
Questions on the photo collection? Please contact opiskelijaviestinta@helsinki.fi.
Photo: Examples of photos submitted in 2025.