Milja Laurila (b. 1982 in Helsinki, Finland) holds an MA in Photography from Aalto University (2010) and an MA in Writing from the University of the Arts Helsinki (2025). Her practice spans photography and writing, with a focus on the intersections of image, text and memory.
Laurila often works with found and archival , particularly scientific medical imagery, exploring what happens when images are detached from their original contexts. “Do they forget what they once were proof of?” she asks. By removing captions and reframing images, Laurila gives them the possibility of “speaking with a voice of their own”.
In her work with historical medical photographs, she highlights the power dynamics embedded in the act of looking. Many of the images portray young women unclothed, even when nudity had no medical justification. “It makes you wonder what the motivation for taking, let alone publishing, these images has been,” Laurila reflects. Notably, the women’s eyes are often obscured. “You might assume it was to protect their anonymity. But perhaps it was also for the viewer — so he would not have to meet their gaze?” (Read more in Art Düsseldorf Magazine.)
Laurila’s early projects drew on her family album, questioning the relationship between photography and memory. Her current practice expands these concerns into writing, where she examines absence, erasure, and the materiality of language alongside visual work.
Recent exhibitions and art fairs include: The National Library of Finland (Helsinki, 2025), Kunstfestival Hallen (Berlin, 2025), Art Düsseldorf (2025) Brooklyn Museum (New York, 2024), Paris Photo (2024), Viennacontemporary (2024), Persons Projects (Berlin, 2022), LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, 2021) and Kunsthalle Helsinki (Helsinki, 2021).
Laurila’s works are held in public and private collections in Europe and the USA, and she is featured in the Helsinki School books published by Hatje Cantz in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2014.