Despite the near absence of a commercial art market, how do artists in Finland build long, sustainable careers without gallery representation or regular sales? And what does this mean as public funding begins to shift?
Join us to explore Finland’s quietly thriving art scene — deeply connected to nature, shaped by public support, and still largely under the radar of the international market.
Speakers include:
Kati Kivinen, Co-curator Helsinki Biennial and Head of Exhibitions at HAM Helsinki Art Museum
Sara Karpanen, Programme Director, Arts of the Finnish Institute
Josefina Nelimarkka, Artist
Moderated by Vanessa Vainio, Art Consultant and Curator
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm GMT/ 2:30 - 3:00 pm EEST. This event is open to all. Please fill in the below form to RSVP.
Please note that by joining the event, you agree to be part of a recorded session which may be used for marketing or promotional purposes.
AWITA’s Forecast Series is now sponsored by Hallett Independent, a leading specialist in fine art insurance. Committed to supporting the arts, Hallett Independent prides itself on deep industry knowledge and the ability to stay ahead of evolving landscapes.
Helsinki Forecast Speakers:
Kati Kivinen (PhD) is art historian and curator based in Helsinki, currently working as Head of
Exhibitions at the HAM Helsinki Art Museum (2022-) and Head Curator for the Helsinki Biennial 2025 with Blanca de la Torre. Her recent curatorial projects include Haegue Yang: Continuous Reenactments (2023) & Nastja Säde Rönkkö: Survival Guide for a Post-Apocalyptic Child (2024).
Previously she was Chief Curator for Collections at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki (2017-2022) and Curator for Temporary Exhibitions also at Kiasma (2003-2017). There she curated (a recent selection): 50 Hz: Mika Vainio (2020); Dry Joy: Iiu Susiraja (2019); Coexistence - Human, Animal and Nature in Kiasma’s Collections (2019); Second Shift: Pilvi Takala (2018); Demonstrating Minds: Disagreements in Contemporary Art (2015); Tonight No Poetry Will Serve: Alfredo Jaar (2014). Her independent curatorial work includes numerous interdisciplinary exhibitions, most recently Acts of Care, the Finnish Pavilion at the 15 th Gwangju Biennial, South Korea (2024), Fragile Times at Galerie im Körnerpark in Berlin (2020) and Materiell Tanke at Varbergs Konsthall, Sweden (2017). Between 2011-2017 and 2021-2024 she was a member of the board of IKT - International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art.
Sara Kärpänen is the Arts Programme Director at the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland and the Founder of Women of the Wick, a feminist media and curatorial platform. With over a decade of leadership experience across the cultural, non-profit, and media sectors, Sara is dedicated to amplifying artists’ voices and visibility through writing, curation and independent publishing. Sara holds an MA in Visual Culture from Aalto University and an MA in Situated Practice from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. @sarakarpanen @womenofthewick @fininst_uk_ireland
Josefina Nelimarkka is a Finnish artist whose practice explores the intersections of climate, science, and perception. Working with real-time data, atmospheric phenomena, and immersive technologies, her installations create poetic encounters with the invisible forces shaping our environment. Based between Helsinki and London, her work has been shown at Amos Rex, Institut finlandais, and the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland.
Vanessa Vainio is a London-based art consultant and curator with a background at Skarstedt and Lisson Gallery. She works internationally across artist development, institutional strategy, and exhibition-making, with a particular focus on Nordic contemporary art. Vanessa collaborates closely with artists, cultural institutions, and governments to shape projects that bridge artistic vision with broader societal themes, including climate and public engagement. Her work spans cities such as London, Paris, New York, and Helsinki, and is defined by a curatorial approach that foregrounds dialogue, context, and cross-disciplinary exchange.