Mimosa Tast Reflects on Her Internship at FCINY

Mimosa Tast is soon going to be a graduate from LAB University of Applied Sciences, from the Interior Architecture and Furniture Design programme. During her studies she started to produce a Finnish design magazine called Sälä, where she also got to work as a design consultant. This production role sparked Mimosa's interest in applying to be the Project Coordinator of FCINY.

After five months in New York it’s now time for her to fly back to Finland, and continue her adventures. Before that we asked her a few questions to reflect on her internship.

Can you tell us about your role during your time at FCINY?

As Project Coordinator, I worked closely with my colleagues across FCINY's current and upcoming programs. My day to day work included applying for grants, taking part in team meetings, and writing project briefs for exhibitions and events. Writing the Institute's Observations essays was also my responsibility for the length of the internship, five were published in total, one a month.

Being present in New York's cultural life was very much part of the job too: I went to museums, galleries, and events regularly, both to research and simply to stay in touch with what was happening in the city. NYCxDesign week was a particularly busy and interesting stretch.

Looking back, this was the part of the internship that pushed me the most professionally. I got a lot more confident with grant writing and running a project from a brief all the way to execution. It was an interesting deep dive into the international art world.

You publish your own Finnish design magazine, SÄLÄ, with its third issue coming out in August. Has your time in New York inspired any ideas or given you new perspectives that you'll bring back home as you continue to develop the magazine?

Sure! I kept NYC energy, contacts and ideas with me. Sälä's third issue actually has works from at least three creative practitioners whom I've got to know or come closer to in New York. Working across such different projects at FCINY also made me a lot more comfortable pitching and negotiating with people I don't know yet, which came in handy working with the magazine.

Was it an easy decision for you to leave your home and move to New York? Were you nervous? Why did you want to come?

II guess I am a pretty spontaneous person, capable of making big decisions and sticking to them. After I got the idea to pursue this internship, I did not question it twice. I've felt that I can grow fast in my career when taking big bites. The internship felt like a huge bite, but it felt inspiring to try to combine my studies and professional skills for once. FCINY is a special institute, since it handles art, architecture and design. I felt really fragile wanting something that badly, I could not sleep for a while. So I knew it was the right decision to go, once I got the opportunity.

Would you say everyday life in New York has surprised you and how has it been compared to your life in Finland? Was it like you imagined living here?

I love my friends and family back home, but I did not miss them that much. That surprised me. Maybe it was the fact that I knew my time in NYC was only going to be months and it had a clear end date, so I was not too worried that I would miss something back home or not survive. I felt truly like an adult in NYC, since I handled it so well and enjoyed “living on my own” (I had roommates). I have never been an exchange student, and this was probably a similar experience for me. 

Living in New York was easier for me than I expected. I got an apartment really easily, food was similarly priced as in Finland and Google Maps led me to places. Smooth sailing!

Is there a specific moment from your time in New York that you will never forget?

My partner came to visit me for a month and we went on a road trip to both Virginias and North Carolina. It was not New York itself, but a possibility that came from being at FCINY. The road trip was amazing. We saw wild horses and slept in motels, ate pancakes, went hiking and experienced a rodeo. I loved to see different places and “the real America”. We laughed that if we were told a year ago we were going to be in a small town in the Outer Banks soon, we would not have believed it. 

What are some of your favorite places in NYC that you would recommend? Museums, activities and food places etc.

I really loved Moma PS1 and Guggenheim. Also a day trip to Dia Beacon was fun. Walking the High Line on a weekday early morning and visiting Whitney after that is a great experience. 

Food etc: I LOVED the Whole Foods on Columbus Circle. La Cabra in Bushwick and 12 Matcha were my favourite places for caffeinated drinks. Amazing restaurants are Sami’s Kebab House in Astoria, Mariscos El Submarinos (all locations), Birria Landia truck, Los Burritos Juarez, pizza from Ceres and and Shake Shack (a burger).

Shopping: Printed Matter Inc and Casa Magazines for magazines, Tokyo 7 and Front General Store for clothes.

What will you miss the most from your time and everyday life here?

I will miss getting to create my routines from scratch. I've lived a well balanced, structured and busy life in Helsinki, and it's hard to step out of that rat race you've created for yourself, since the responsibilities and deeply engraved customs are hard to shake. Living in NYC for half a year gave me the chance to see my life from afar and decide what stays and what doesn't. For instance, I was so much better at going to sleep early when I was responsible for only myself. My partner back home is too good company and we stretch the night time too easily. In New York I felt great after all those 8 hours of sleep every night.

If given the opportunity of moving back, would you? What advice would you give to someone thinking about moving to New York for an internship?

Hahah, what a question. It's a bit of a conflicting thought for me. New York doesn't have certain qualities I'd want for my home city, but still, it's magical in a weird way. New York lacks nature and my family members... I would still move back for sure if I could.

I'd recommend not stressing over whether you've done enough, visited enough places, experienced enough things. You can't experience all of the city even in years, so relax. Try to do one small New York thing every day. It can be the same thing as yesterday and it can be really small: a matcha, a bagel, a walk in a new neighbourhood. Five-ish months in New York goes by so quickly, and when you're finished, you want to feel like you enjoyed your time and lived your life, not that you rushed and stressed through the experience.

The Finnish Cultural Institute in New York is seeking new intern every fall and spring. Look out on our Instagram or website for more information!

Interview questions by Eva-Li Teir