“During the Helsinki International Curatorial Programme, I discovered the island of a new community of art professionals. From them, I brought along a powerful artistic singularity that exposed a particular ideology in their practices.” On Frame’s blog, HICP resident alumnus and Argentina-based curator Malena Souto Arena shares notes and reflections from the time of the residency past Autumn.
I
Utopia, vanguard, hope.
I arrived in Helsinki on the seventeenth of September in the year 2024, as a participating curator in the Helsinki International Curatorial Programme, produced by the Helsinki International Artist Programme and Frame Contemporary Art Finland. A few days after my arrival, we convened at Frame, where Evelyn Simons, also curator in the programme, and I shared our practices. I decided to initiate my presentation with some opening words, which I now transcribe in the hope they capture that ephemeral instant:
“First and foremost, thank you. For your professional commitment, generosity, and hospitality. I feel glad to be here, in this programme. For me, this is a privileged country, not in economic terms but in terms of knowledge, resources, and possibilities. When it comes to the art scene, Finland is really advanced in the link between art and science, policies, and actions regarding the environmental crisis, which will be one of the topics of my research during the residency.
This privilege places you in a responsibility that I believe you are exercising. Why am I talking about responsibility? Because other countries cannot deal with these urgencies, as they struggle with other vital issues. This possibility I’m talking about lies in your ability to build vanguards, which in other words also means imagining and conceiving utopias in a world in crisis. You—artists and institutions—are imagining possibilities through art.”
What you have read reflects my perception of a country that was far away, one I had never visited before. These thoughts drifted through my mind from afar, while I resided at home in Argentina. I must admit that, in order to apply for a residency, I need to feel some correspondence with the upcoming destination, even if only in the realm of imagination. Thus, residencies blossom into opportunities to cultivate integrative relationships. This impression also evokes a resonating reflection in my practice: What is the nature of an image?
In this case, the question about an image referred to those created by our geographies and our existence upon this Earth. We know that images transcend the visual; a mental abstraction may also become an image, an echo of the inner scenery of our minds. Thus, I wondered: what could be a conceptual image of the essence of a residency? What constitutes a residency if not an image in between? If not a relation between people, cultures, and conceptual visions from abroad? Before, during, and after my stay, the mental image that emerged from my residency was conceived as a relationship—an integrated image of my practice and yours.
That is why my HICP research project aimed to bridge my main focus of curatorial and academic research, sound and visual technological installations, to something I believe Finland has a profound connection: Nature. I titled my project “Nature’s Entelechy: Science and Metaphysics of Installation through a Non-Human Perspective.” This project delves into various expanded notions of nature, addressing both non-human and post-human philosophy.
II
How many islands?
During my residency, I was surrounded by a marvelous natural environment: the island of Suomenlinna. Nature, for me, is the realm of abstraction. For my work, I need to have several close encounters with nature, as it grants the privilege of pure abstraction and perception. In this sense, my research project felt comfortable in a space like this, as—among many aspects—the installation device has the structural aim of expanding the radiant episode of perception.
While inhabiting the island, I also faced another thought (which I promise will be the last I share here): how many islands can inhabit the same island?
During the Helsinki International Curatorial Programme, I discovered the island of a new community of art professionals. From them, I brought along a powerful artistic singularity that exposed a particular ideology in their practices. Having an ideology is the same as having a vision. This community quickly became a small, new family.
The Helsinki International Curatorial Programme was also the island of hospitality. During my meetings, I felt a sense of home and warmth from every professional I met for the first time. Among many other activities, I was also blessed to meet an artist with whom I felt a unique intellectual connection, despite coming from such different geographies.
HICP is also the island of a return; fortunately, I come back with new bonds, artistic and human simultaneously, and that is why I have decided to return. I must admit that my stay was very short, but I know time is not linear and life will bring me back at another moment.
III
From the end of the world.
I am from Argentina; I came from the end of the world. However, the notion of “end” is relative in this context, as my country is my north. In Argentina, art professionals and artists possess a conceptual density and such symbolic capital, of which I feel privileged. We are supportive beings; our social and political commitment has shown us that without one another, a people is not free.
For me, traveling is also an opportunity to share this. Fortunately, Helsinki International Curatorial Programme was a truly shared, relational, and integral space, both artistic and humane. Therefore, I wish the programme, along with the professionals and institutions that comprise it, a bright future.
Yours sincerely,
– Malena Souto Arena
Curator; HICP resident in September–October 2024
This blog is a platform for reflecting work, current issues and discussions in arts by Frame staff members and other contributors. This blog post is published in English.