FLASH Residencies for International Light Art Curators
FLASH Residency introduces international curators and light art professionals to Finnish light art and artists and creates new international networks and opportunities for collaboration.
In 2026–2027, FLASH organises two curatorial residencies: one in Oulu in November 17th -22th 2026 and one in Helsinki over the New Year. The programmes bring together Finnish artists and international light art professionals through artist meetings, exhibitions, festivals, professional events and networking.
The Oulu residency takes place in connection with the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture, Lumo Art & Tech and Lumo Light Festival and FLASH Biennale. The Helsinki residency takes place in connection with Lux Helsinki.
The residencies are funded by The Finnish Arts and Culture Agency (Kuvi) grant for the international development of the arts.
Oulu Residency participants 17.-22.11.2026
Andrea Möller
The Netherlands
Media Art Friesland
Andrea Möller (*1971, Münster/D) holds an MA Leisure and Tourism Studies, after various studies in Berlin, Leeuwarden, Bilbao and London in the 90s. She works as an advisor, curator and producer for institutions and festivals in the fields of visual arts and film.
Andrea is director of Media Art Friesland, responsible for the concepting and management of all art projects and festivals of the foundation and the recruitment of emerging and experienced light art professionals. She is also curator of Lichtstadt Feldkirch in Austria and UFO festival Katowice in Poland.
Andrea has a sound interest in bringing experimental and high-quality art to public space and new audiences. Embedding art in the social, physical and economic contexts of the places where she initiates projects, is at the core of her work. Her special focus is on a personal and human scale of curation and multidisciplinary project management that actively involves diverse stakeholders.
Photo: Linus Harms
Christina Dvinge
Denmark
Kaleidoskop Light Culture Agency / REFLEKTOR Light Festival
Christina is an independent curator, cultural entrepreneur, and creative strategist with a background in cultural anthropology and over a decade of experience working at the intersection of light art, culture, and public space. She is the founder of Kaleidoskop Light Culture Agency and has initiated and curated light art projects, festivals, and exhibitions across the Nordic countries, including REFLEKTOR Light Festival in Copenhagen and Dark Sky Days on the island of Møn.
Driven by curiosity and a passion for light, darkness, art, and human experience, her work is rooted in an anthropological understanding of how people interact with places and each other. She explores how artistic interventions can shape atmospheres, bring people together, and inspire new ways of experiencing and connecting with our surroundings and communities.
Photo: Kim Matthäi Leland
Francesco Scarel
Italy
Artscience researcher and curator
Francesco Scarel is an artscience researcher, curator and science communicator with a background in chemistry and nanotechnology. His practice connects art, science and society through interdisciplinary research, exhibitions and audiovisual projects, exploring new ways of experiencing scientific knowledge.
Birgit Lill-Schnabl
Austria
KLANGLICHT / Bühnen Graz
Birgit Lill-Schnabl is currently engaged in KLANGLICHT, the festival of sound and vision organised by Bühnen Graz, an organisation that incorporates the theatres and stages in Graz owned by the municipality and the federal province of Styria. As Head of Programme and Organisation, she is responsible for the artistic and curatorial concept of the festival, which aims to bring art into the public realm and close the gap for those who have not previously engaged with art. Since 2015, KLANGLICHT has transformed the city of Graz into a world of art, music, colours and light once a year, captivating thousands of people and proving that art has the power to attract and move large crowds - later October 2026, KLANGLICHT will as well be staged in Vienna, Austria.
Photo: Marija Kanizaj
Andrea Lieb
Germany
KRONACH leuchtet®
Light artist and member of the planning team of “KRONACH leuchtet®”
Light art: Since 2009 I have been creating light artworks for our event KRONACH leuchtet®.
My colorful objects tell stories, awaken emotions and imagination. They are my message for hope, identity and joie de vivre.
Organization team: As a member of the organisation team, I am involved in the planning of the light path and the organisational aspects of the festival.
DEIN Lichtprojekt/YOUR lighting project: A project to participate in for interested and artistically committed individuals, companies, schools, associations... It is about various large outdoor light-objects, which are integrated as independent parts in our light path. Here my responsibility is curating, supervising and supporting the complete organisation and planning of this special project.
Jury member photo competition + selection of calendar pictures.
Dina Abu Hamdan
Denmark
VINTERLYS Light Festival / Media Art Days
Dina is an interdisciplinary artist with a background in theatre. She works in cultural development, leading strategic initiatives that connect artistic practice with community engagement and place-based development.
Her work often explores the intersection of art, community, and creation. As a cultural officer at Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality, she founded and serves as the artistic director of the VINTERLYS Light Festival and the Media Art Days residency.
Her theatre portfolio includes A Shared Moment — the official closing ceremony for Aarhus 2017, European Capital of Culture — and Sugar Town, created for the Carlow Arts Festival in Ireland.
As a philanthropist, her work includes initiating the artist residency space Brogården Kulturvæksthus.
Dina is a Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow and a Kennedy Center Fellow in Arts Management. She is also part of the Members’ Committee at Moment Denmark.
Viola Luciotto
Italy
Audiovisual artist and sound designer
Viola Luciotto is an Italian electroacoustic musician, sound designer and audiovisual artist based in Florence. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Music and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Music and New Technologies, focusing on audiovisual composition, sound design and interactive technologies. Her artistic practice explores the relationships between sound, image, light and physical space, combining electroacoustic composition with digital and interactive media. She works with technologies including TouchDesigner, Max/MSP and spatial audio, developing immersive audiovisual experiences and interactive installations. Her works have been presented in Italy, the Netherlands and Finland. During her Erasmus experience in Finland in 2025, she collaborated as a sound designer with the visual design team of the Lumo Light Festival in Oulu. Her practice is driven by an interest in creating multisensory environments where sound and visual elements interact dynamically.
Photo: @i_lol_it
Martina Stella
France
Helsinki Residency participants 30.12.2026-3.1.2027
Bastiaan Schoof
The Netherlands
I Light U
With a background in theatre, Bastiaan Schoof works in different fields of lighting. For his Happy Tunnel collective, he creates light art installations for public spaces in Amsterdam, with a particular focus on tunnels. Also, he serves as a senior lecturer in the bachelor’s program in Lighting Design at the University of the Arts in Amsterdam.
For a decade, Bastiaan contributed to the Amsterdam Light Festival, first as a technical advisor and later as an artistic advisor and curator. In 2021, he established his own light exhibition, I Light U, in Utrecht. There, he curates the artworks thanks to his extensive network of light artists and designers. With in-depth knowledge of light in all its forms and a keen creative insight he ensures that the artworks are showcased to their fullest potential. The event has since grown to its fifth edition (held in January 2026) and is now preparing for its sixth in January 2027.
Bastiaan is also a member of the CANON II research project. This is an Erasmus initiative from 3 years that develops methodologies to accurately describe and digitize collections of artifacts and archives in lighting design, lighting technology, stage- and set design. Furthermore, he is involved with the Institute of Lighting Design in the Netherlands (iLo).
Monika Markauskaite
Lithuania / Germany
Galerie Watson
Master of Arts (Architecture), b. 1997, from Vilnius, Lithuania, lives in Hamburg, Germany.
Monika Markauskaitė is a Spatial and Light Designer and Gallery Associate at Galerie Watson in Hamburg. Originally from Lithuania, her professional background combines architecture, lighting design and contemporary art.
IG @mon.marka
Photo: Louan Abiven (IG @louanabiven)
Nika Perne
Slovenia
Freelance / Water Light Festival Bressanone (IT) & RE.LIGHT Light Art Festival Regensburg (DE)
In the last two decades, Nika Perne has worked with several non-governmental organizations, public institutes, and private initiatives as a curator, producer, educator, and expert advisor. In recent years, she has focused more on producing festivals, cooperation projects, and network management.
She is driven by inspiring storytelling and care for communities, focusing on light art, photography, and interdisciplinary approaches. Currently, she is the curator for the Water Light Festival in Bressanone (Italy) and RE.LIGHT Festival in Regensburg (Germany), and producer for the IBSIC Conference in Lille (France).
Photo: Nicandro Fernandes
Sofia Mellino
Italy / Argentina, based in Essen (DE)
Freelance | SyncPhonia UG
Sofia Mellino is a multi-awarded media artist, mentor, researcher, emerging curator, entrepreneur and bridge between the Global South and the EU. Specialist in postproduction workflows and its application in Fulldome format and Video Mapping. Founder of SyncPhonia UG, a German company dedicated to furthering immersive media innovation and strengthening Global South & EU collaborations with long‑term cultural, social, and artistic legacy.
Her mission is to share knowledge and empower the next generation of multidisciplinary global artists, leading the "The Rebels of Fulldome" movement.
Photo: Fatih Kurceren
Romain Tamayo
France
Fête des Lumières
For 15 years, Romain Tamayo has been contributing to shaping artistic programming and international collaborations for Lyon’s Fête des Lumières, working with light festivals and artists around the world. His work sits at the intersection of art, light, culture and urban transformation.
In 2026, he launched a global study on the future of light festivals, exploring how they can evolve artistically, culturally, economically and in relation to their cities and audiences.
He is particularly interested in the future of cities after dark and the role culture can play in shaping new nocturnal experiences.
IG @romain.tamayo
Photo: @monsieur_collodion
