Finnish Art Agency’s 2015, and a bit of 2016

Even though it’s almost April, Finnish Art Agency wants to look back to our amazing collaborations and projects of the past year 2015.

Finnish Art Agency started the year 2015 by welcoming the new assistant curator Darja Zaitsev to the team. In February Hanna Haaslahti won the HISTORIC category of Sculpture Shock 2015 award resulting in a site-specific sculptural intervention for the Ionic Temple in the Gardens of Chiswick House in the beginning of December 2015. In April the talented artist’s Man Yau (b. 1991) joined Finnish Art Agency as well as photographer Christoffer Relander (b.1986) a month later. In May visual artist Camilla Vuorenmaa was awarded with the Fine Arts Academy of Finland’s award. The prize consisted of 25,000 € and a solo exhibition at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition Sea Separates Us in now on display until 7th of April.

In late May Finnish Art Agency travelled to Venice to celebrate the opening of IC-98’s Hours, Years, Aeons at the Finnish Pavilion in the Venice Biennale. Paperi T & Khid performed at the reception for IC-98. In the beginning of June New Narrative and Reader group exhibition of 15 talented young Finnish contemporary artists opened its doors at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre (6.6.–29.8.2015), and the exhibition was also on display in Finland, in Salo Art Museum (17.10.2015–17.1.2016). Read the Art Montly critique from here.

In the beginning of July Finnish Art Agency launched its first SHIFT mentoring programme for professional artists. The programme comprised of personal career coaching and a seminar with international art professionals. Read what the first participants had to say from here, here, here and here. In summer, visual artists Martta Tuomaala’s Cleaner’s Voice was on display in Mänttä summer festival, and in the beginning of autumn three talented artist joined Finnish Art agency: visual artist Laura Konttinen (b. 1987), painter Tiina Pyykkinen (b. 1983) and painter Sami Havia (b. 1982).

In October SHIFT seminar finally took place! The event brought a wide range of European art professionals to Helsinki, and the seminar speakers included, for example, director Mark Devereux from Mark Devereux Projects (Manchester, UK), curator Cecilia Andersson from Bildmuseet (Stockholm/Umeå, Sweden) and producer and curator Bren O’Callaghan (Manchester, UK). In autumn Finnish Art Agency also extended the team with a new communication manager, Linda Asmala. Curator Laura Köönikkä featured in Gloria Magazine and made several radio appearances during the year.

In November painter Katri Mononen (b. 1981) joined Finnish Art agency and Tiina Pyykkinen took part in a group exhibition displaying contemporary art in Central Finland at Jyväskylä Art Museum. Finnish Art Agency’s office moved twice within the year and finally found a place at Lemminkäisenkuja in Töölö. Before the move, FAA held a farewell exhibition at the Olympic Stadium. The year changed and started with IC-98’s screenings at the Sundance Film Festival 2016 and Sampo Malin’s solo exhibition at Jyväskylä Art Museum. FAA launched SHIFT mentoring programme vol. 2, which is about to start in late March. A long awaited solo exhibition by Saara Ekström opened its doors to the public at Wäinö Aaltonen Museum and is now on display until 24.4.2016. In case you are travelling to Hämeenlinna before the beginning of May, don’t forget to go and see the group exhibition that Sami Havia is taking part at Hämeenlinna Art Museum.

Phew, Finnish Art Agency had a busy year and is now looking forward to even busier rest of 2016!

Photos from New Narrative and Reader at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre, works by Teemu Korpela, Tiina Pyykkinen and Pauliina Kaasalainen (2015)