Finnish visual art presented extensively in New York

Finnish visual artists are strongly represented in New York this winter. In early December, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will open Seeing Silence: The Paintings of Helene Schjerfbeck, an exhibition organised in collaboration with the Ateneum and the Finnish National Gallery.

Works by several contemporary artists are also currently on display in New York as part of a new collaboration between the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, the Consulate General of Finland in New York, and the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA). Three New York galleries – Gaa, Margot Samel, and Ulterior – are presenting Finnish contemporary art this winter in a series of exhibitions that aim to strengthen ties between the Finnish and New York art scenes and increase the international visibility of Finnish artists.

Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie will visit New York in December, where she will attend the opening of the Helene Schjerfbeck exhibition and visit exhibitions by Finnish artists, local galleries, and other cultural actors. The trip aims to promote the internationalisation and export of Finnish artists and creative industries, in line with the government’s program, Cultural Policy Report, and Creative Economy Growth Strategy.

“I want to promote the visibility of contemporary artists in the world’s most important art cities. That is why I will be meeting with several gallerists, curators, and other art professionals during my trip,” Minister Talvitie said in a press release from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Exhibition opportunities result from long-term network building

The strong visibility of Finnish art in New York is the result of long-term work in art export and network building. In 2023, Finland was the theme country at the Performa Biennial in New York, where the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, the Consulate General of Finland, and Frame Contemporary Art Finland were responsible for the Finnish Pavilion Without Walls programme. In recent years, Frame has supported several exhibition projects in New York and elsewhere in the United States.

Among the Finnish artists to be seen in the city next year is Jenna Sutela, who was also involved in Performa and will participate in the prestigious New Museum’s exhibition New Humans: Memories of the Future, opening in early 2026. Sutela will represent Finland at next year’s Venice Biennale, where her exhibition at the Finnish Pavilion will be curated by Stefanie Hessler, Director of the Swiss Institute in New York. Sutela’s works have also been presented at the Swiss Institute.

Pioneer Works culture center, operating at the intersection of art and science, will feature Tuomas A. Laitinen‘s solo exhibition as part of New York Climate Week. Laitinen’s works were last presented in the city at the Yeh Art Gallery’s The Boneless One exhibition in 2022. Iiu Susiraja, who held a solo show at MoMA PS1 in 2023, presents new works at the Gratin Gallery in an exhibition opening in December 2025.

Artists Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Marianne Huotari, Teija and Pekka Isorättyä, Esko Männikkö, and Outi Pieski are currently participating in the group exhibition A Time for Everything: 25 Years of Contemporary Art at Scandinavia House in New York. The exhibition, which runs until February 14, 2026, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Nordic cultural center.