Michaela Casková (she/her) is a visual artist, art-based environmental educator, nomadic gardener, host, friend, and forager who keeps an eye on atmospheric events. Motivated by processes of sharing and learning, Michaela is constantly flowing between collaborative and interdisciplinary projects. Many of her projects involve not only long term observations and processes but also care, hospitality, and the art of companionship. Sometimes she cooks soup, sometimes takes you for a walk with a basket, sometimes you are invited to take part in the artistic process, sometimes the result is a workshop for various audiences… or a little conversation.
Michaela’s Small Talks project is based on fascination, conversations, and everydayness. Through observing and monitoring weather phenomenas, she redefines the topic of weather from that of a scientific probability calculation based on accurate data, to an exhibition of visual and sensory metaphors that trace time and tell the stories we are living—our social weather.
As a member of Mustarinda Association (Finland), she focuses on projects related to the socio-ecological transformation of society through connecting contemporary art with multidisciplinary research, and hosting residency programs, educational and publishing activities.
Since 2019, he has been working under the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Jyväskylä, where she is co-developing teaching materials that convey evolutionary processes and phenomena as part of the Evolution in Action team. In 2023, she collaborated on the Children’s Forest Pavilion representing Lithuania at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
Michaela works between Kainuu and Helsinki (Finland) and Brno (Czech Republic).
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Studies & Scholarships
2012 – 2014 – Master in Art Education (M.Ed.), Faculty of Education, Olomouc University, Czech Republic
2014 / 15 – Mustarinda association, Erasmus+ traineeship, Finland
2013 – Mustarinda association, Erasmus traineeship, Finland
2010 / 2011 – Academy of Fine Arts, Graphic department, Riga, Latvia
2007 – 2012 – Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Book Design department, Faculty of Fine Arts, Ostrava Univerzity, Czech Republic
2003 – 2007 – Secondary School of Arts and Crafts, Department of Space and Creation, Brno, Czech Republic
Membership
Active member of Mustarinda association, (chair 2019–2021), Finland
Örön Residenssikeskus ry / Örö residency Center Association
Residency
2024 – Massia, collective residency (Mustarinda + Feminist Culture House)
2023 – NIDA Art Colony, as member of collective residency of Mustarinda team, Lithuania
2022 – Periscope, Salzburg, Austria
2022 – Dom Jana Hálu vo Važci, Liptovská galéria, Slovakia
2022 – Kreenholm garden residency and workshops at NART (Narva Art Residency), Estonia
2022 – Styria-Artist-in-Residence Scholarship, Atelier Schillerstrasse, Graz, Austria
2021 (1st January–31st November) – long term HIAP artist-in-residence, Helsinki-Suomenlinna, Finland
2021 – Ars Bioartica, Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, Lapland
2019 – HIAP, Helsinki International Artist Programme, Helsinki-Suomenlinna, Finland
2019 – LIAF (Lofoten International Art Festival), research ship Helmer Hanssen, Norway
2018 – Drake Arts Center, Kokkola, Finland
2018 – Nelimarkka museum, Alajärvi, Finland
2017 – Örö Residency Programme, Finland
2017 – Gallery Síň, Telč, Czech Republic
2017 – Koli Rynnänen Residency, Finland
2016 – Gallery Síň, Telč, Czech Republic
Solo / duo shows
2024 – Interpretive Dictionary, Brno City Library, Czech Rpublic
2024 – Small Talk #13: Company We Keep, Cup We Share, Maatila, Helsinki, Finland
2024 – Interpretive Dictionary, Children Theater Radost, Brno, Czech Rpublic
2023 – with Sarah Jost, Gallery Petr Michal Bohun, Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia
2022 – Periscope gallery, Salzburg, Austria
2021 – 2022 – public art work The Weather Cabinet commission for Oulu Art Museum
2021 – Ars Libera Gallery, Kuopio, Finland
2018 – konText gallery, Brno, Czech
2018 – Galleria 3H+K, Pori, Finland
2017 – As a Carrot I live Life in Order, with Romana Horáková, Galerie Síň, Telč, Czech
2015 – Take Me to The Bear Mountains, Galerie Síň, Telč,
2015 – Light Trap, with Honza Šípek, Chapel of Saint John Nepomuk, Nymburk, Czech
2014 – Soil Lazyness, Flop Galerie, Olomouc, Czech
2014 – Dowser, Galerie Prokopka, Praha, Czech
2013 – Before Winter Comes, Galerie Horká, Olomouc
2013 – Naposedu, Galerie 3+1, Praha, Czech
2011 – Eržiko!, Galerie Dům u tří knížat, Brno, Czech
Group exhibitions / symposiums
2025 – Everlasting Soup, Sinne Gallery, Finland
2023 – Other Art Fair, Torino, Italy
2023 – Lithuanian Pavilion, Biennale of Architecture, Venice, Italy
2023 – Kabinet T, Zlín, Czech
2022 – Mustarinda Löyly, Entrance Gallery, Praha, Czech
2022 – symposium and exhibition Voda/Water, Dom Jana Hálu, Liptovská galéria, Slovakia
2022 – Porin kulttuurisäätö Biennnial “Visitors”, Helsinki, Finland
2021 – Dom Jana Hálu, Liptovská galéria, Slovakia
2021 – Örö, Finland
2019 – LIAF, Lofoten International Art Festival, Biennial, Norway
2018 – Ställbergs Gruva, Sweden
2017 – Mustarinda exhibition, Titanik gallery, Turku, Finland
2017 – Symposium Šumakárt, Šumava, Czech
2016 – LUSTR, festival of contemporary illustration, Prague, Czech
2016 – RurArtMap – zpráva o létě na venkově, Prague, Czech
2016 – Symposium Chaos, Kabinet Gallery, Střítež u Poličky, Czech
2016 – Earthlings, group exhibition of Mustarinda Association Members, Finland
2016 – Khihahari, group exhibition in Moravská zemská library, Brno
2015 – V IKB, Galerie W7, Olomouc, Czech
2015 – Stolen Magpie Nest, Lost walk, streets in Boskovice, Czech
2014 – Diploma Exhibition, Faculty of Art Education, Konvikt, Olomouc
2013 – Ksiazkowy design, Czeski Festival w Giwicach, Gliwice, Poland
2013 – Art Books Wanted, Tabook festival, Tábor, Czech
2013 – Art Books Wanted, Design Blok, Praha, Czech
2013 – Graphics of the Year, Praha, Czech
2012 – Trienal of Student Illustrations, Museum of Art Havlíčkův Brod, Czech
2012 – Symposium Šumakárt, Šumava, Czech
2012 – Diploma Exhibition, Faculty of Fine Arts, Hala Gong, Ostrava, Czech
2012 – Gallery Art Wall, DOX Gallery, Praha, Czech
2012 – Gallery Armaturka, Ústí nad Labem, Czech
2012 – Knihahahaři, Gallery Zamostek, Opole, Poland
2011 – The Most Beautiful Czech Book, The Museum of Czech Literature, Praha
2011 – Book design studio, Katowice, Poland
2011 – Virtualizácija, Galéria L, Riga, Latvia
2010 – Projektowanie graficzne z Ostravy, Krakow, Poland
2010 – Dva razy inaczej, Galerie ZNACZY SIE, Krakow, Poland
Collaboration & curating & teaching
2025–2026 – MUUMAA, funded by Kone (Metsän puolella)
2024 – Ecological Days Olomouc (EDO), dyeing workshop at Sluňákov, Czech Republic
2024 – lecture at Symposium Architecture – no science! – Mediating architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Brno, Czech Republic
2023 – now collaborating with curator Katie Lenanton on her Bar Tender project
2023 – co-curating exhibition Communities of Coexistence, Lähde library Jyväskylä, Finland
2022 – Climate change in me, design of teaching materials written by Henna Laininen
2022 – bookbinding of book: If you show me what you know, can I tell you what I see?
for Rooftop press
2021 – 2022 – commissioned public art work The Weather Cabinet for Oulu Art Museum, Finland
2022 – HIAP supporting curator for Empowering Tools for RIBOCCA Biennial, Latvia / Finland
2019 – 2024 – Evolution in Action, research team of scientists and art educators, Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland
2018 – series of posters for Nordic block for
Gallery Klubovna
2018 – On Art Becoming Forested – Exercises for Post-Fossil Conditions, graphic designer, KUVA – Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki, Finland
2017 – collaboration with magazine Elonkehä, illustrator
2017 – Siemenpuu association, contribution with illustrations and text
2017 – collaboration with Clean Ocean Sailing
2017 – Mustarinda Art workshops for Hyrynsalmi school, teacher and organizer
2017 – founder of Window gallery in Hyrynsalmi village (together with many other Mustarinda members)
2016 – now – yearly Mustarinda Art Camp for children, lecturer and organizer, together with Riitta Nykänen,
Selina Väliheikki and Matti Niinimäki, Mustarinda, Finland
2016 – Art teacher – Graphic design and Animation,
Art School Řevnice, Czech Republic
2016 – Paper design for Paperi Kauppa Putinki,
NIDE Bookstore, Room – Helsinki, Finland
2014 – 2016 – illustrator and graphics designer for
Tabula Fabula workshops, Prague
2012 – 2020 –external graphics designer for educational projects for InBáze – center for migrants living in Czech Republic (Crates of stories, Ethno Cook Book for Children, Refufest)
6 / 2015 – concept and realization of public moving library in collaboration with community gardens Za()hrada in Olomouc and Rajská zahrádka in Brno, Czech Republic
6 / 2015 – realization of Migrating bookish booth – public library on wheels for InBáze in Prague
2014 / 2015 – external lecturer for House of Art in Brno
2013 / 2014 – graphics designer for Prague Micro Festival – contemporary poetry fest
2012 – now – external lecturer for art workshops in InBáze, Prague
2010 – now – lecturer of many workhops – bookbinding, illustration, animation etc.
2010 – as illustrator and graphic designer collaborated with many other institutions, associations and independent artists
Awards / Grants
2024 – Kone Foundation, Microbial communities, Finland
2024 – Golden Ribbon award for book Výkladový slovník, Czech republic
2023, Nida Art Colony, Lithuania
2023, Gallery Liptov, Slovakia
2022, Periscope Gallery, Austria
2022, Gallery Liptov, Slovakia
2022, NART (Narva Art Residency), Estonia
2022, Styria-Artist-in-Residence Scholarship, Graz, Austria
2022, Porin kulttuurisäätö
2021 – State Art Prize for multidisciplinary art, Mustarinda Association
2021, Oulu Art Museum
2020 – Kone Foundation, Mustarinda slow travel support
2019 – Kone Foundation (Evolution in Action team)
2019, Frame, Finland
2013 – Honorable Mention for book Samozvání, Art Books Wanted,
Edition Lidu, Praha
2012 – Honorable Mention for illustration works, Fenomenon Book, Brno
Publications & texts
2024 – The Weather Cabinet, published by Oulu Art Museum, Finland
2023 – Výkladový slovník, illustrations for a children book.
2023 – publication “Forest Continuum Workbook” for Lithuanian pavilion “Forest Pavilion for Children”, Venice Biennale of Architecture
2023 – interviews with artists of Communities of Coexistence exhibition (editing together with Tiina Arjukka Hirvonen, Evolution in Action)
2023 – Reconstructing in/with the house, collective article of Mustarinda members, published by Tiede &Edistys
2022 Climate change in me. Written by Henna Laininen. Design of teaching materials.
2022 – Weather Cabinet, book published and commissioned by Oulu Art Museum
2022 – Porin Biennale – Visitors catalogue, conversation with Andrea Coyotzi Borja
2022 – Reality Harvester – Nature after Data after Nature, article with Maryam Fanni
2020 – Mustarinda magazine, Gather together
2018 – On Art Becoming Forested – Exercises for Post-Fossil Conditions, KUVA – Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki, Finland
2017 – Letters about Future, Siemenpuu foundation
2017 – Elonkehä magazine, 3/2017, 4/2017
since 2016 – Taideleiri Magazine, annually
2016 – Ethno Cook Book for Children, InBáze
(center for migrants in Prague)
2015 – now – Crates of Stories – manuals for multicultural education based on sharing stories, InBáze
2013 – Mustarinda Off the Grid, Mustarinda association
2012 – Samozvání
2010 – City Means
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photo ~ Rooa Paldanius