Towards Space explores the past, present, and future of space exploration and rocketry in Finland. The exhibition presents around fifty model rockets alongside their launch certificates, highlighting rocketry’s iterative and experimental nature, where precision, success, and failure are closely intertwined. These rockets serve as vehicles for technical exploration and flying sculptures, embodying aesthetic and functional qualities. Subject to the same physical laws as their large-scale counterparts, each rocket has been launched as part of the Finnish Astronautical Society’s activities. Their surfaces bear the visible marks of flight, underscoring the connection between design, execution, and experience.
This exhibition is part of Axel Straschnoy’s broader project on Finland’s space program, shaped by the country’s unique position between East and West during the Cold War. The project encompasses a film documenting the Finnish Astronautical Society’s history, the society’s 60th-anniversary celebration, and presentations at scientific congresses – each examining rocketry as both a creative and a scientific endeavour. Straschnoy currently serves on the society’s board and represents it at the International Astronautical Federation, where he sits on the Committee for the Cultural Utilization of Space.
Rather than focusing on space exploration as a grand spectacle, Towards Space draws attention to its quiet, methodical aspects – the calculations, setbacks, adjustments, and the unwavering dedication to continuous experimentation. It invites viewers to reflect on persistence, possibility, and the delicate balance between ambition and limitation, offering an opportunity to engage with Finland’s evolving space aspirations.
The exhibition is supported by the Finnish Heritage Agency and Oskar Öflund Foundation.
Axel Straschnoy (b. 1978) is a visual artist and filmmaker from Buenos Aires based in Helsinki. He explores scientific phenomena and human-developed theories, transforming them into artistic experiences. His long-term, research-focused projects span planetarium films, performances, film installations, editions, travelling exhibitions, museum collections, and VR films. His interest in expeditions – both literal and metaphorical, scientific and artistic – was recently awarded with the Fine Arts Academy of Finland Foundation Prize 2025. Including to the prize, his work will be seen in EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art in 2026.
