The 60th Venice Art Biennale ended on Sunday 24 November. Finland’s Aalto Pavilion presented the exhibition The pleasures we choose by artists Pia Lindman, Vidha Saumya, Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen, curators Yvonne Billimore and Jussi Koitela, and architectural designer Kaisa Sööt. The exhibition was commissioned and produced by Frame Contemporary Art Finland.
The Pavilion of Finland welcomed nearly 255,000 visitors in the seven months it was open. Altogether, the 60th Venice Biennale, running from April to November, attracted over 700,000 visitors, making it the second most visited edition in its history. Additionally, 28,000 guests visited the biennale preview in April, including nearly 4,300 accredited journalists. According to the Biennale, a share of 59% of the public came from abroad, and 41% from Italy.
“We are very pleased with the audience number and the reception of the exhibition. The feedback from the visitors about the Finnish Pavilion has been delightful, and many have appreciated especially the accessibility elements of the exhibition. The evocative works of the artists and the whole team have left their mark on how we produce exhibitions and consider different audiences and environments also in the future”, says Ellinor Zetterberg, Project Manager of the Finnish Pavilion.
The working group is collaborating with Temporary Gallery Contemporary Art Space in Cologne, Germany to develop an exhibition in 2026.
The final report of the exhibition, including the exhibition’s carbon footprint calculation, will be concluded in early 2025. The environmental impacts of the exhibition have been aimed to be reduced from artwork production and exhibition materials to dismantling and transportation. Read more in a blog text.
Accompanying materials remain available
The accompanying publication extends the core practices, processes, and politics of the exhibition beyond the pavilion’s walls through various contributions. It is edited by Yvonne Billimore and Jussi Koitela and published by K. Verlag together with Frame. The publication can be read online and ordered online. Various digital materials, such as an audio description of the exhibition, will remain available on Frame’s website.
Four university students from Finland participated in Frame’s fourth Venice Biennale internship programme and were responsible for keeping the Finnish pavilion running, together with the local team.
Partners and supporters
The main supporter of The pleasures we choose was the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland. Other supporters include the Kone Foundation, The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, AVEK: The Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture, The Church Media Foundation, Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired and the Embassy of Finland in Rome.
Preparations for the 2026 biennale have begun
Frame will act as the commissioner for the Pavilion of Finland at the 61st Venice Art Biennale in 2026. Preparations for the upcoming exhibition have commenced with the Open Call and the results will be announced in early 2025. Oulu26 – The European Capital of Culture is the main partner of the exhibition.
Photo: Ginevra Formentini