News

FCINY Celebrates 35 Years of Cultural Dialogue

On 5 December 2025, we celebrated the 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟯𝟱 together with the 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙔𝙤𝙧𝙠 and a wide network of partners and collaborators. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of FCINY’s journey, and to all who joined us in New York, as well as earlier this year in Helsinki to mark this milestone!

We were honored to host the celebration at 𝗚𝗮𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆 during the 𝘽𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 exhibition, a fitting setting for recognizing contemporary Finnish art and fostering cross-cultural dialogue. This group presentation brings together eight Finnish artists whose practices engage with nature, mysticism, and the subtle thresholds between the seen and unseen. Through explorations of material transformation, natural phenomena, and the spiritual dimensions embedded in physical form, the exhibition creates a space where the boundaries between material and immaterial begin to dissolve.

Featuring works by 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝘂 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻, 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗛ä𝗿𝗸ö𝗻𝗲𝗻, 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗝ää𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗹ä𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗻, 𝗘𝗲𝘃𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻, 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗡𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮, 𝗞𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘁𝘂 𝗦𝗮𝗮𝗹𝗶, 𝗧𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘂 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻, and 𝗘𝗲𝘁𝘂 𝗦𝗶𝗵𝘃𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻, the exhibition invites viewers to encounter nature as both presence and process, where matter becomes a vessel for memory, energy, and spirit.

During the evening, we shared the Institute’s future goals and highlighted our recent collaboration between FCINY and the Consulate General of Finland in New York with the 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗡𝗔𝗗𝗔) and 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗜𝗡𝗖. These partnerships bring meaningful opportunities for emerging artists in New York City and exemplify our mission to strengthen impactful artistic collaborations, partnerships, and the exchange of ideas between Finland and the United States.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to 𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐚, 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙧, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢 𝐌ä𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭ö, 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞, 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐕𝐚𝐳, 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙏𝘼 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙨 & 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣; 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗶 𝗚𝗶𝗯𝗯𝘀, 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝘼𝘼, and our own 𝙀𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗮𝗸𝘀𝗼, for their inspiring and generous words.

The 𝗚𝗮𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆 exhibition forms part of a larger collaboration with the 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗡𝗔𝗗𝗔). The project is kindly funded by the 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘀 𝗘𝗿𝗸𝗸𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and the 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹.

Photos by Minea Lindqvist Herwitz, Finlandia Foundation National & Emma Termonen, Fciny

Earlier this year, on April 9, 2025, we celebrated 𝗙𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗬’𝘀 𝟯𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 at 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗺 in Helsinki, Finland. We were honored to mark this milestone during IRIA Leino’s exhibition at 𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙢.

IRIA Leino (1932–2022), the Finnish-born artist and former 1950s supermodel who made New York her home and creative haven, left a lasting impact on the art world. A pioneer of the 1960s New York art scene, Leino’s profound abstract works have now returned to Finland after decades away. Her unique blend of Color Field painting and meditative brushwork reflects the cultural upheavals of the time and her personal journey, including a spiritual turn after a serious accident in 1968.

This exhibition brought together rarely seen, large-scale works from her SoHo studio, offering a unique opportunity to follow her artistic journey. From the iconic Elephant Series to the meditative Dreamings Series, Leino’s art continues to captivate, weaving together Finnish nature and design with the energy of American abstract expressionism, an unmistakable legacy that resonates across generations.

Our heartfelt thanks go to 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨, 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐤, 𝐈𝐥𝐤𝐤𝐚 𝐓𝐢𝐤𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧, our 𝙀𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐨, the team at the 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, and everyone who contributed to this project. Your dedication and passion were essential in bringing this exhibition to life, and we are grateful for your commitment.