Networks and Development
Frame is an information centre for Finnish contemporary art. We bring together the visual arts actors to develop the sector, exchange information and strengthen cooperation. We also participate in research projects concerning the sector.
Network of visual arts organisations
Since 2021, Frame has organised regular network meetings with Finnish visual arts organisations. These meetings aim to actively exchange information, strengthen cooperation and develop the sector.
The online meetings are meant for sharing information and discussing current issues affecting the visual arts sector, such as cultural policy, development needs, and funding opportunities. The network also aims to strengthen the organisations’ administrative skills and develop good practices in areas such as exhibiting and selling artworks, employment, fees, and social responsibility. The aim of the peer network is to create stronger arts communities throughout Finland, promoting the growth, development, employment, and accessibility of the sector nationwide.
Participation in the network meetings is open to professional visual arts organisations and associations in Finland, such as galleries, art and artists’ associations, and residencies. The network currently involves around 80 organisations from all over Finland. The majority of the organisations receive operational funding from the Arts Promotion Centre.
If you want to get involved, please contact Frame: info@frame-finland.fi.
Sustainable Visual Arts network
Frame is a member of the Sustainable Visual Arts Network. The aim of the peer network is to support and strengthen the knowledge of Finnish visual arts organisations on issues related to ecological sustainability. In 2025 the network is co-chaired by the Artists’ Association of Finland and Kunsthalle Helsinki.
The network organises regular online meetings and one live event each year focusing on environmental sustainability in the visual arts. The network has around 60 member organisations. The network is open to visual arts organisations and can be joined via the Green Art website.
Kestävän kuvataiteen päivä Taideyliopistolla Helsingissä huhtikuussa 2024. Kuva: Patrik Rastenberger
Development projects in 2025
In 2025, Frame is involved in two research projects developing the structures of the visual arts sector.
Mapping merger of the visual arts communities
A project supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture explores the conditions for a possible merger of visual arts organisations. The project is led by the Artists’ Association of Finland, and the partners are AV-arkki – the Centre for Finnish Media Art, Frame Contemporary Art Finland, and the House of Visual Arts (Kuvataiteen talo).
The roadmap is a tool for future development and discussion. The project will focus on the possibilities of deepening collaboration and the merger of various organisational networks within the visual arts industry. The project looks at two different types of networks; 1) the Finnish Artists’ Association and its six member associations and 2) Finnish associations operating internationally in the media arts sector. The project aims to provide the visual arts sector with information and tools for the integration and collaboration of organisations.
VisRak – Infrastructure as a Success Factor in the Visual Arts
VisRak – Infrastructure as a Success Factor in the Visual Arts is a development project funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. It examines how the infrastructures in the field of visual arts influence the success of professional artists in Finland.
The project is carried out by the Center for Cultural Policy Research (Cupore) in collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of the Arts Helsinki, the Finnish Artists’ Association, Frame Contemporary Art Finland, and Kuvasto.
The key objectives of the project are:
- To identify and analyze structures that support or hinder the success of professional artists—defined as financial sustainability and professional development.
- To develop infrastructures in collaboration with key stakeholders based on the project’s findings.
The data is primarily collected from alumni who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts between 2013 and 2023. The results will be compiled into an information package, a seminar series, and a final report with concrete development proposals.
The visual arts are a popular cultural sector, but their structural foundations are weaker compared to many other art fields, which affects artists’ income and professional well-being. This development project seeks to address these challenges and strengthen the long-term vitality of the visual arts sector.