Actors in the domain of visual arts want to raise awareness of their own field and its prominence through open knowledge and success stories, reports Frame Visual Art Finland’s research conducted this Spring. The research mapped different expectations that art professionals have for Frame’s information centre activities. In addition to this, concrete actions and help to enable internationalization of Finnish artists from Frame’s part, such as guidance, consulting and production help.
The research was made in January and February by an on-line survey, that collected answers from over 300 artists, gallerists and other art world professional, and a series of interviews which examined the individual views of 16 art professionals. 67 percent of participants were artists and the rest other actors in the art field. 60 percent of them worked in Helsinki, 30 percent in other parts of Finland and 10 percent outside of Finland.
The significance of visual arts is gained through social influence
According to the research, 83 percent thought that it was important or very important that Frame tries to affect the society on behalf of the whole of the whole field in its role as a visual arts information centre. Collecting data and statistics about the progress and state of contemporary visual arts was, according to the respondents, an important means to support the significance and conditions of operation of Frame. In Finland, extensive collection of data from the field of visual arts is, at the moment, on no particular actors account, and there exist no comprehensive data about the visual art field’s export, sales and funding.
The status of visual arts should be strengthened by success stories about the evolution and success from the field, notes 76 percent of the respondents. Most of the interviewees believed that open knowledge and lobbying will help secure funding for the visual arts.
According to the respondents, practical help considering the internationalization of artists and galleries is most importantly providing different opportunities for Finnish artists to meet foreign curators and other art field professionals, of course in addition to practical consulting help and education. 83 percent of respondents think that organizing expert visits is important or very important. 77 percent also considered attending important international art world events, biennials and art fairs as being important or very important.
Open, transparent and up-to-date electronic communications is expected from Frame
Openness and transparency is expected from all of Frame’s activities and especially communications. Strong substance know-how and an independent, visionary action help the organization in its mission to strengthen the internationalization of Finnish visual arts and artists.
Respondents expect up-to-date electronic and online communications. As much as 84 percent would like Frame to produce an online publication, which would act as a resource for information on Finnish visual arts. An electronic newsletter was also acknowledged as being a helpful tool of communications by 80 percent of respondents.
“We wanted to hear the opinions and point of views of our interest groups and partners before developing our information centre activities. We are extremely happy, that we gained such an impressive amount of insightful viewpoints from the whole art field and from the whole of Finland. A lot of things that were requested from us we have been already managed to put into action, such as the monthly newsletter and communications in social media. At this point we are planning bigger entities, such as the activity of compiling statistics”, says Frame’s director Raija Koli.
The research commissioned by Frame was realized by Pink Eminence, a Helsinki-based company focusing on building strategic connections between the worlds of creative industries, culture and business.
The purpose of Frame Visual Art Finland is to strengthen the position of Finnish visual art. Frame accomplishes this by promoting international co-operation and increasing interaction between Finnish and international institutions and professionals in the field of visual art.
Frame functions also as an information centre for Finnish visual art by collecting, recording and sharing information from different fields of visual art.