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Dr. Harri Laakso is Associate Professor of Photography Research and the Head of the Department of Art and Media. Laakso is an artist researcher and curator interested in photographic images and theory, artistic research and images’ relations to words and performative actions.

He holds a BFA in Film, Photography and Visual Arts from Ithaca College, New York (1991), MA in photography from University of Art and Design Helsinki (1996), Graduate Certificate in Art History, Theory and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1999). He received his doctoral degree from the University of Art and Design Helsinki (2003).

He has led, and participated in, many artistic and research projects (e.g. PI in “Figures of Touch” 2009–2012, Senior researcher in “Floating Peripheries. Floating Peripheries – Mediating the sense of place” 2017-2021) curated and co-curated exhibitions (e.g. Backlight Photography Triennials 2002–2008; “Grey Matters” in Finnish Museum of Photography 2007; “Falling Trees” in Finnish and Nordic pavilions at the 55^th Venice Biennale in 2013).

Laakso has been Chair of the Board for Public Display Grants to Visual Artists, Arts Promotion Center Finland (2018-2020), Chair of the Subcommittee for Photographic Art, in the National Council for Visual Arts, Arts Promotion Centre Finland (2015-2016), and Chair of the National Council for Photographic Art in Finland (2013-2014).

Laakso has published many texts related to photography and contemporary art in academic contexts as well as in artists’ books. He has been member (since 2014) and is presently the Chair of the Editorial Board of RUUKKU Journal of Artistic Research. Laakso is member of the Academic Board of The Artistic Research Doctoral School of Aalto (AREA).

Laakso’s current teaching (MA and DA) includes Photography theory, Contemporary photography history (as part of “Thinking practices”), and Artistic research. He is supervisor and advisor of 14 completed doctoral students in the fields of photography, contemporary art, and visual culture. He is co-chair of the Art of Research Conference 2023 and chair of the organizing group of the Helsinki Photomedia Conference 2024.