The Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma and Frame Visual Art Finland will partner in producing the Finnish exhibition for the Venice Biennale 2017. The partnership will further strengthen collaboration that has endured over the past two biennales in 2013 and 2015.
As part of the collaboration, Kiasma’s Director Leevi Haapala has participated in the jury selecting the Finnish artist for Finland’s pavilion at the Biennale.
“The Venice Biennale remains the world’s premier arena for contemporary art. Kiasma, which is part of the Finnish National Gallery, is Finland’s largest contemporary art museum and thus an ideal partner, especially as we will be celebrating the centenary of Finland’s independence in 2017. The Finnish exhibition in Venice is part of the ‘Finland 100 Years’ programme”, says Frame’s Director Raija Koli.
“Collaboration with Frame at the Venice Biennale ensures us global visibility that will strengthen Kiasma’s role internationally. Kiasma is the best-known Finnish art museum. Our international scope is visible not only in our programme but also in our partnerships and professional networks. Our major exhibition during Finland’s centenary celebration year will be ARS17, which will focus on young artists”, Leevi Haapala says.
It has been agreed preliminarily that Frame and Kiasma’s collaboration will continue also in 2019, when Frame is in charge of both Finland’s exhibition in the Alvar Aalto Pavilion and the joint exhibition with Norway and Sweden in the Nordic Pavilion.
Frame Visual Art Finland is an advocate of Finnish contemporary art. The organisation supports international initiatives, facilitates professional partnerships, and encourages critical development of the field through grants, visitor programme and residencies, seminars and talks, and network platforms. Frame commissions and produces the national exhibition for the Venice Biennale as well as co-produces joint exhibitions in the Nordic Pavilion together with Sweden and Norway. The Biennale is organised biannually, and it attracts approximately half a million visitors.
Kiasma is the leading contemporary art museum in Finland. It organises exhibitions, accumulates a collection of national contemporary art, produces performing art and maintains a continuous dialogue with its audiences, the public, artists and the art world. Kiasma, the Ateneum Art Museum and the Sinebrychoff Art Museum together form the Finnish National Gallery.
More information:
Heljä Franssila, Head of Communications,, Frame Visual Art Finland, helja.franssila@frame-finland.fi, +358 44 728 9908
Piia Laita, Head of Communications, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, piia.laita@kiasma.fi, +358 29 450 0507