LIFT, Liaison of Independent Filmmakers. Toronto, Canada. Portrait taken by Renata Mohamed
Paola Fernanda is a Colombian visual artist and experimental filmmaker based in Finland since 2013. She works with analogue film, photography, and performance. Her work explores intergenerational memory, feminist narratives, and embodied archives, drawing on personal and collective experiences to reflect on identity, transcultural passage, and the body as a site of memory. She holds a BA and MA from the University of the Arts Helsinki, as well as a BA in Visual Arts from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia.
Her work has been exhibited in numerous venues, including Penumbra Foundation, New York City (2025); Forum Box, Helsinki (2024), DocLisboa International Film Festival, Portugal (2023); CICA Museum, South Korea (2022); and Cultural Centre Gabriel García Márquez, Bogotá (2022). Paola Fernanda has recently participated in residencies at LIFT, Toronto (2024/5); Saari Residence, Finland (2023); and Residency Unlimited, New York (2023).
EDUCATION
2020 - 2022 MFA, “Time and Space Arts”, The University of the Arts Helsinki, (FI).
2020 Exchange in Film directing, TAI Escuela Universitaria de Artes. Madrid, (ES).
2016 - 2019 BFA, “Time and Space Arts”, The University of the Arts Helsinki, (FI).
2010 - 2015 BFA, “Visual Arts with Audiovisual emphasis”, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Bogotá, (COL).
2013 - 2014 Exchange in Scenography, Aalto University, Dept. of Film, TV and Scenography. Helsinki (FI).
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 “a detail is not a fragment”, Penumbra Foundation. New York City (USA)
2024 "Eternal connections", PHOTONORTH. Oulu (FIN)
2024 "Braiding Future", FORUM BOX-Mediabox. Helsinki (FIN)
2024 "Diving Wombs", Galleria Huuto. Helsinki (FIN)
2024 "Port of Memories", Porvoon Taidehalli, Gallery Fikka. Porvoo (FIN)
2023 “Nanita, para siempre”. Oodi Central Library. Helsinki (FIN)
2022 Exhibition & Artist talk at Maker’s Gallery. Vaasa (FIN)
2022 “Nanita, para siempre”. Centro Cultural Gabriel García Márquez. Bogotá (COL)
2021 “Returning to the Island”. Project room. Helsinki (FI).
2020 “Time Travel” film at Feel Helsinki Festival, Musiikkitalo screen street. Helsinki (FI).
2016 “Minun Kieltä”, Sörnainen, Metro station, Helsinki, (FI)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 "Mis Quince Años", Oksasenkatu 11 Gallery. Helsinki (FIN)
2023 “an instinct to change things”, Trotter&Sholer-Residency Unlimited & Finnish Cultural Institute. New York (USA)
2022 "Time Travel" and “Paola: Mommy, say something to the camera. Mom”, CICA Museum Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (KOR).
2021“Paola: Mommy, say something to the camera. Mom”. Project Room. Helsinki (FI).
2021“Feathers” Exquisite Futures by Kino club collective. Helsinki (FI).
2020 “The bar room” Expanded Cinema. Exhibition laboratory. Helsinki (FI).
2019 “Time travel”. Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki (FI).
2019 “Movement in Photography” analog photographs, Tasku Gallery. Helsinki, (FI).
2019 “The latency of Images”. Exhibition laboratory. Helsinki (FI).
2018 “Guillotine” film screening at Kaipuu, silent film festival, Kuulturitalo. Helsinki (FI).
2018 Kino Club at Red May, Punainen toukoku. Alkovi Gallery, Helsinki (FI).
2015 “The Other Side” Installation Project, Prague Quadrennial of Performance. Prague, (CZ).
2015“Mi Akuaario” Fictional Documentary, ELO KEVÄTNÄYTÖS 2015 Helsinki (FI).
2014“ Bubble Land ”. SUMIN Children’s Theatre Nordic Baltic. Viljandi (EST).
PERFORMANCES
2025 Film Performance, CineCycle & Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC), Feb. Toronto (CAN)
2024 Performance at FILMVERKSATDEN. Films, Feb-March. Vaasa (FIN)
2023 Performance “Time Travel”, Governors Island-Residency Unlimited, Aug. New York (USA)
2020 Time Travel, walk in El Retiro park, Madrid (ES)
2020 Time Travel, walk in Barrio Bonanza, Bogotá (COL)
2019 Movement in photography, my aquarium. Walk in Valilla, Helsinki (FI).
FILM SCREENINGS
2023 “Mommy, say something to the camera, mom!”, DocLisboa International Film Fesival. Lisboa (POR)
2023 Screening and Panel of “Mommy, say something to the camera, mom!”, Cinema Orion & AV-ARKKI, May. Helsinki (FIN)
2022 “Mommy, say something to the camera, mom!”. Latin American Film Festival Cinemaissí, Oct. Helsinki (FIN)
2021“Feathers” Exquisite Futures film project, Alex Berlin TV channel. Berlin (DE).
2015“Mi Akuaario” Fictional Documentary, ELO KEVÄTNÄYTÖS 2015 Helsinki (FI).
AS A SCENOGRAPHER FOR THEATER, FILM AND PERFORMANCES
2023-2025 "Invitation" Blaue Frau r.f. Helsinki,(FI).
2023 "Oikeusvaltio" Espoo Theater, Internation Theater. Espoo, (FI).
2022 "ScapeGoat" Chekhov Machine & Baltic Circle. Helsinki, (FI).
2022 "Crimes of Passion" Blaue Frau r.f., April and May. Heksinki, (FI).
2021 Testifilmi Oy, scenography and camera tasks, internship, Autumn. Helsinki, (FI).
2019 “The Barber” shortfilm, dir. Theo af Enehielm Helsinki (FI)
2018 “Paradisdoktrinen” Theater play, Mestola rf, 4eTeatern & Ö2Teatern. Västerås & Stockholm (SE).
2017 “Steffi” TV serie, Five Corners Production OY, Yle Fem. Helsinki (FI).
2017 “Paradisdoktrinen”, Mestola rf,Viirus Teater.Helsinki(FI).
2016 “Chekhov Machine goes Beckett”. STOA and Tiivistamo, Suvilahti. Helsinki (FI).
2016 “The Land of the Midnight Fun”. Helsingin Gayteatteri ry. Savoy Theater. Helsinki (FI).
2016 “An autobiography" , prop assistant. Helsinki (FI).
2015 “Three sisters”. Pori Theater Festival and Madhouse. Pori & Helsinki (FI).
AS A VIDEO ARTIST
2023 "Oikeusvaltio" Espoo Theater, Internation Theater. Espoo, (FI).
2022 "ScapeGoat" Chekhov Machine & Baltic Circle. Helsinki, (FI).
2021 "A transcultural Journey for harp, voice, electronics & visuals”. Helsinki (FI).
2019 Ääni Festival of Audiovisual oddity,Vj’ing together with Manialog Ensemble. Helsinki (FI).
2017 Vj’ing performance project at Alakulttuuritalo, Kevätbakkanaalit, Helsinki (FI).
2016 “The Land of the Midnight Fun”, “Helsingin Gayteatteri ry”, theater play SAVOY Theater. Helsinki, (FI).
2016 “Chekhov Machine machine goes Beckett” at STOA and Tiivistamo, Suvilahti. Helsinki (FI).
2015 ‘Mutanttikieltä: On Translation | On Poetry’, Video Installation, CAISA, Helsinki, (FI).
WORK AS A PRODUCER AND CURATOR
2017 – Present Co-founder and director of artist film collective Kino Club. Helsinki, (FI).
2017 – 2021 Project based: producer, social media manager at Interkult ry. Helsinki, (FI).
2020 Curator of Expanded Cinema-Kino Club, Exhibition Laboratory. Helsinki, (FI).
2019 Animation Project producer & teacher at Aseman Lapset ry at Friends program, Helsinki & Vaasa, (FI).
2018 Producer of Kaipuu Festival, Festival of improvised sound and silent film, Helsinki, (FI).
AWARDS & GRANTS
2025 Frame, Mobility Grant
2025 Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Mobility Grant
2024 Saastamoinen Foundation & Uniarts residency grant at LIFT (Liaison of Independent Filmmakers)
2024 Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, working year grant for exhibitions.
2023 Svenska kulturfonden, development and materials for exhibition.
2022 Linnamonsäätiö, Film development and materials for exhibition.
2022 Finnish Cultural Institute Madrid: Grant support for Exhibition.
2021 Finnish Art Society, Young Artist Grant with Film project.
2021 Taike: Covid-19.
2021 The University of the Arts Helsinki, Exhibition Grant.
2020 Taike: Covid-19 grant.
2015 Award with “ The Other Side ” Project, Gold Medal PQ 2015 for Best Exposition in the Student Section: Finland & 1st Place: Children’s Audience, Quadrennial of Performance, Design and Space. Prague, (CZ).
RESIDENCIES
2024-2025 LIFT, Liaison of Independent Filmmakers Toronto. Supported by Saastamoinen Foundation & Uniarts. Toronto, (CAN).
2024 Baltic Analog Lab & Filmwerkplaats Rotterdam. Experimental analog filmmaking. (LATV-NL).
2023 Finnish Cultural Institute New York and Residency Unlimited. New York (USA)
2023 The Wapping Project and Saari residency. Supported by Kone Foundation (FI)
2022 FILMVERKSTADEN. Vaasa, (FI)
2019 University of the Arts Helsinki and Stockholm University of the Arts. Berlin, (DE).
FILM DISTRIBUTORS
AV-arkki
ART MEMBERSHIPS
Muu ry
Filmverkstanden