Frame Contemporary Art Finland is organising an internship programme for the Finnish Pavilion at the 61st Venice Art Biennale in 2026. The interns act as exhibition personnel and run daily operations of the Aalto Pavilion during the Biennale.
The Aalto Pavilion at the Giardini Biennale Park in Venice. Photo: Reishabh Kailey / Frame Contemporary Art Finland
Who can apply
The internship programme is aimed at students currently enrolled in Finnish universities or universities of applied sciences. The internship is primarily for students in curating, arts management, art education, art history, and fine arts, who are interested in gaining experience in the daily operations of an international art biennial. The trainees must be eligible for the internship subsidy provided by their respective university.
What does the internship offer
- An unique opportunity to work at the oldest contemporary art biennial in the world
- Gaining valuable knowledge on how biennial exhibitions are run
- International work experience
- The opportunity to explore over 80 national pavilions at the Biennale, giving an overview of contemporary art today.
Tasks
The interns act as the exhibition personnel and invigilators at the Pavilion of Finland. In 2026, the Finnish Pavilion presents an exhibition by artist Jenna Sutela, curated by Stefanie Hessler.
The interns oversee and run the daily operations of the pavilion located at the heart of the historical biennial park, Giardini di Castello. The tasks include:
- hosting exhibition guests and telling about the exhibition to visitors, and occasionally as part of guided tours.
- opening and closing the pavilion exhibition daily
- daily management of the pavilion and artworks, together with local technical support
- occasional communications (short texts and photos) for social media
- The interns may also take part in writing an article/essay about the biennale, which will be compensated separately.
The trainees are supported in Venice by their local supervisor and in Finland by the exhibition’s project manager.
When does the internship take place?
The duration of the internship is about 9 weeks, taking place either between 3 May – 6 July 2026 or 2 July – 3 September 2026. Two interns are selected for each period, and they will work with local staff onsite.
The Venice Biennale is open to the public six days a week, from Tuesday to Sunday (with some exceptions), from 11 am to 7 pm. The interns will work approximately 37 hours per week.
Before the internship starts, all interns will be invited to an induction session in Helsinki to introduce them to the tasks, the exhibition, and the city of Venice.
What will be covered for the interns?
- An internship salary of 1,430 € per month.
- Compensation for public transport in Venice.
- Free access to the Biennale exhibitions and local museums.
- Frame rents a shared apartment (with separate bedrooms) for the interns to use for a fee of 350€/month/intern. The apartment is located within a 10-minute walking distance from the Giardini exhibition venue. The interns may also arrange their own accommodation, but this will not be compensated.
The trainees may include the traineeship in their studies and receive credit from their university according to their university’s criteria. The trainees must be eligible for the internship subsidy provided by their respective University.
The applicant
The applicant is expected to have good knowledge of the Finnish contemporary art field. We appreciate the ability to work independently in an international environment and engage proactively with diverse audiences on a daily basis. Additionally, the ability to react and adapt to unexpected situations is a benefit: the working environment can vary, for example, due to weather conditions and a large number of biennial visitors.
Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.
Frame advocates equity within the contemporary art field. We welcome applications from candidates of varied ages, genders, social classes, abilities, and linguistic or cultural backgrounds. If you wish, you may provide information about this in the application form. All information you provide will be treated confidentially. As an employer, we are committed to an equal, safe, and comfortable working culture. Read more about Frame as an employer here. Please find Frame’s safer space guidelines and equality and non-discrimination plan here.
Application
Please send your motivation letter (about 1 page describing why you are applying for this internship and what would be your strengths) and CV (in a single PDF file) in English by 23 November at 11.59 pm Finnish time (GMT +2) to applications@frame-finland.fi.
Please name the PDF file with Surname_Firstname and include “Venice Biennale Internship” in your email’s subject line.
Please mention in the motivation letter your availability and/or preference for the internship period (3 May – 6 July / 2 July – 3 September). We aim to accommodate the wishes of the applicants regarding the period of their internship.
Inquiries regarding the internship:
Francesco Raccanelli, Project Coordinator
Frame Contemporary Art Finland
francesco.raccanelli@frame-finland.fi
t. 046 526 7853
Please make any calls regarding the internship on Wednesdays, 5, 12, and 19 November from 1 pm to 3 pm.
Frame, Venice Biennale and the Pavilion of Finland
Frame is an advocate for Finnish contemporary art. Frame supports international initiatives, facilitates professional partnerships, and promotes Finnish contemporary art abroad through grants, visitor programme and residencies, seminars and talks, exhibition collaborations, and network platforms.
Since 2013, Frame Contemporary Art Finland has been the commissioner and producer of Finland’s Aalto Pavilion exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Finland is one of the 29 countries with a national pavilion in the historical Giardini Biennale Park. In 2026, the Finnish Pavilion will present an exhibition by Jenna Sutela, curated by Stefanie Hessler. Read more about the Biennale and the upcoming exhibition on our website.
The Venice Biennale, founded in 1895 and held biannually, is one of the most important international forums for presenting contemporary art. In 2024, the Biennale hosted 86 National Participations in addition to the main exhibition, and the Biennale received over 700,000 visitors.