Artists-in-Residency 2018

The Finnish Cultural Institute in New York is pleased to announce that the selection for the 2018 Residency Program is complete! 

13 Finnish designers, architects and visual artists are invited as artists-in-residence in 2018: architects Eva Geitel, Sampsa Palva, Markku Puumala and Nea Tuominen; designers Ella Varvio, Laura Väinölä, Jenni Väänänen, Wesley Walters and Salla Luhtasela; and visual artists Rita Jokiranta, Anne Koskinen, EGS and Timo Bredenberg.

Since 1990, residencies at the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York have been awarded exclusively to members of the professional associations for designers (Ornamo), architects (SAFA) and artists (STS) in Finland. Residency periods of 1–3 months in New York provide opportunities for creative work, research, as well as opportunities to meet and interact with their New York peers. 

Priority is given to project proposals that connect to the city of New York and its surroundings. Designer team Wesley Walters and Salla Luhtasela will research the aesthetic philosophy of the Shaker movement, seeking inspiration from the Shakers’ radical simplicity, much in sync with their own aesthetics. Visual artist Timo Bredenberg, in turn, focuses on the world of Wall Street with the aim of creating an online project that focuses on the narrative structures and visual concepts within financial calculations.

Kaarina Gould, Director of the Institute, is inspired by the impact the residency program potentially has on the artists practice and career: "Many of the Institute's artists-in-residence have found their place in New York during or after their initial working period in the city. Aamu Song and Johan Olin of COMPANY, currently exhibiting at the Storefront for Art and Architecture are alumni of our residency program, as is Santtu Mustonen, this year's artist for New York City Ballet's Art Series. "

In addition to the Institute's own residency program, FCINY also collaborates with International Studio and Curatorial Program and Triangle Arts. 2018 will bring visual artists Iiu Susiraja, Eero Yli-Vakkuri, Antti Nyyssölä and Tuula Anttonen to their residencies.