Sustainable Visual Arts Afternoon 28.4.2025

Welcome to Sustainable Visual Arts Afternoon at Kunsthalle Helsinki on Monday, April 28, 2025 to hear an inspiring program and meet colleagues working on sustainable development in the visual arts sector.

The Sustainable Visual Arts Network brings together visual arts actors to discuss and act for a sustainable future. This year, the network is chaired by Kunsthalle Helsinki and the Artists’ Association of Finland.

This year, the Sustainable Visual Arts Afternoon has two themes: ecological travelling and sustainable public art.

The event will feature two keynote speeches by CEO and civic activist Leo Stranius and Professor Felicity Fenner, Chair of the Sydney Public Art Advisory Panel. In addition, the program will feature diverse experiences on issues of sustainable development in the visual arts sector.

It is possible to participate in the event on site at Kunsthalle Helsinki or online via stream. Those who have registered before the event will be provided with a link to the remote event. The event will begin with a shared lunch on site, and after the program, it will be possible to explore the Johanna Lecklin exhibition on display on a guided tour.

The event will accommodate the first 60 registrants on site. The event is free of charge and open to all interested.

The language of the event is Finnish and English. The ecological travel section will be held in English, if there is demand for it in the registrations.

The event is supported by IHME Helsinki, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Frame Contemporary Art Finland and Artists’ Association of Finland.

SCHEDULE

Address: Kunsthalle, Nervanderinkatu 3, Helsinki. Accessible entrance from the courtyard.

The event will be moderated by Hanna Hannus, Head of Communications of the Artists’ Association of Finland.

11:30 vegan salad lunch at Taidehalli

12:15 Welcome remarks: Nina Toppila, Kunsthalle Helsinki and Hanna Hannus, Artists’ Association of Finland

12:20 Keynote (in Finnish)

CEO, civic activist Leo Stranius

12:45-14:00 Theme: Ecological travel (English or Finnish)

Experiences as a visual artist in the field of visual arts, Tuuli Penttinen-Lampisuo, producer and art critic, Poike Productio & Athanasía Aarniosuo, Executive Director of the Finnish Comics Society

The employer and museum perspective on sustainable tourism, Juha Huuskonen, CEO of Frame Finland & Kersti Tainio, curator at Sinebrychoff Art Museum

Long-term plans in sustainable development work – what does a carbon budget mean? Paula Toppila, Executive Director of IHME Helsinki, Curator

Discussion

14:00: Coffee break

14:15 Theme: Sustainable Public Art

Keynote (video, in English)

Caring for Country: A view of sustainable public art from Australia

Felicity Fenner, Chair, City of Sydney Public Art Advisory Panel and Professor, Master of Curatorial and Cultural Management (UNSW School of Art & Design / Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture)

Felicity Fenner is also interviewed in IHME Helsinki’s Art, Science, Ecology podcast episode “Sustainable Curatorial Practices: Public Art and Biennials”

Introduction to the Ecological Public Art Procurement Guide, Saara Korpela, Coordinator, Turku Museum Centre

Artist’s speech (TBA)

Introduction to the Green Art Counter

Discussion

The program ends at 15.30. After this, those interested will have the opportunity to explore Johanna Lecklin’s exhibition at the Art Hall on a guided tour.

Questions?

Contact: Communications Manager Hanna Hannus, Artists’ Union

050 307 2127, hanna.hannus@artists.fi