Khaos, the nothingness of which all else sprang
Khaos is an independent, non-profit publishing house based in Helsinki, Finland, since 2015. Khaos focuses on books of art, photography and design, as well as, literary works and critical inquiry. We care about fair publishing and autonomy in every part of the process: all the labor connected to publishing should be compensated, with resources shared transparently.
We work slowly, publishing only a few titles each year, giving each book the time it needs to take shape. Our focus is on shaping cultural narratives and making books that last beyond the market cycles.
Publisher Iina Esko, photo by Hilla Kurki
Khaos was founded in 2015 by photographer and publisher Iina Esko, following her first self-published book on Finnish DJs in 2013. From the beginning, the project has been about collaboration, curiosity, and finding new ways for artists and designers to share their work. Over the years, Khaos has evolved from focusing on subcultures to embracing wider explorations of the arts and society.
From 2015 to 2020, Khaos also ran a shop for independent publishers at the Kosminen space. The physical shop was complemented by a webshop with nearly 200 titles, making it the only collective digital platform in Finland where independently publishing artists and authors could sell their work. However, maintaining such a platform required a huge amount of unpaid labor and eventually came to an end, allowing Khaos to return its focus to publishing rather than selling. Following the closure of the shop, Khaos went through a transformative shift, reaffirming its mission to preserve and deepen culture through meaningful narratives.
Photo: Kimmo Metsäranta
Among Khaos' publications, Wasted Years – Sad, Sexy, and Artist-Run (Sorbus 2020) received the Edvard Richter Recognition from the Finnish Art Society. Additionally, Notes on a Place (Metsäranta 2023), Kuulumme toisillemme (Brunila, Saarinen, Sandell 2023), Almost All the Flowers in My Mother's Garden (Kurki 2022) and Kone-Suomi (ed. Kinnunen 2017) were selected for the Most Beautiful Books collection by the Finnish Book Art Committee.
PS. Listen to a podcast with Khaos’ Iina Esko on the Finnish Museum of Photography platform (only in Finnish).