Meet our new Project Coordinator for spring 2026, Mimosa Tast!

We’re delighted to welcome Mimosa Tast as our new Project Coordinator Intern for 2026! 

To get to know her a little better, we asked Mimosa a few questions about her background, her interests, and what she’s most excited about as she begins her journey with FCINY this year.

Read on to discover more about her story and what she’s looking forward to in the months ahead!

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about what you will focus on during your time at FCINY?

My name is Mimosa, and I'm finishing my design studies at LAB University of Applied Sciences in Finland while serving as Producer and Design Consultant for Sälä Magazine, a Finnish design magazine we launched on 2025. As a Project Coordinator at FCINY this spring, I'll be supporting the Institute's cultural programs while contributing my skills in strategic planning, audience engagement, and hopefully some critical writing. This role allows me to build on my experience in cultural institutions and editorial work while deepening my expertise in international cultural exchange and creating meaningful, thought-provoking experiences for diverse audiences.

What have you been up to before moving to NYC, and what's your main area of interest?

Before New York, I was building my practice across design, publishing, and cultural work. At the Architecture and Design Museum of Helsinki, I developed a strong foundation in museum operations and visitor experience while running Sälä Magazine and completing my degree. My interests extend beyond conventional design practice. I'm deeply engaged with feminist theory, human rights, institutional critique, and the politics embedded in cultural production. I've also trained as a birth doula, work that reflects my commitment to care, bodily autonomy, and supporting people. In my downtime, I'm reading theory more than fiction, watching drama films, staying active, and spending time with my two cats, Lemmikki and Ukko. I'm intentionally building a career path that bridges critical thinking, cultural work, and my values. This internship represents exactly that convergence.

What inspired you to apply and specifically pulled you towards this internship and FCINY, and what made New York feel like the right place for this internship?

When I first visited New York in fall 2024, I bought Designing Motherhood from the Cooper Hewitt Museum shop. Later, I discovered the exhibition would be at ArkDes in Stockholm, so I visited there. Then, while researching this internship and looking at New York's spring programming, I found out Designing Motherhood would be at MAD Museum during my potential time here. This chain felt meaningful. It was the first project I'd encountered that perfectly bridges my work as both a designer and a doula. Design is inherently political, though that's rarely acknowledged in the field. This exhibition embodies everything I care about: design as a tool for feminist critique and systemic change. I'm also interested in the cultural, political, and structural differences between the US and Finland, and how those differences shape creative work and public life. This internship offers something valuable: the chance to work at the intersection of Finnish and American cultural production while contributing to programming that challenges conventions and sparks genuine dialogue.

Outside of work, what are you hoping to explore while you're here—people, places, neighborhoods, food, music, art, anything?

Museums, absolutely. I want to immerse myself in New York's cultural institutions and see how they operate differently from European models. Specially financing is an interesting topic, where I already see some differences. I'm also seeking out pockets of nature and quieter rhythms within the city's intensity. Beyond the obvious landmarks, I want to understand the everyday texture of life here: the neighborhoods, the food culture, the unexpected encounters that reveal what it's really like to live in New York. I'm also intentionally building connections, both professional and personal, that I can carry forward when I return to Helsinki.

When asked about your favorite cultural experiences…

One of my most profound cultural moments happened on the flight home after my first NYC visit. I watched Wim Wenders' Perfect Days, and it crystallized values I often lose sight of in our growth-focused world. I've saved that experience as a formative moment. Another unforgettable experience was seeing Diptyk at Viirus theatre in Helsinki. Theatre isn't typically my medium, but this production completely shifted my understanding of what performance can do. How it can move you, ground you, and stay with you. I'm still hoping it gets remounted.

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