The Finnish Cultural Institute in New York is pleased to announce the selection of artists, designers, and architects for its 2026 residency programs.

Next year, the Institute will host artists Iida jonsson and Ssi Saarinen, artist Aapo Nikkanen, designer Ida Kukkapuro, and architect Paulina Sawczuk.

The Institute’s independent residency program has supported Finnish artists, architects, and designers in New York since the 1990s. The new residency programs focus on artistic dialogue and cultural exchange, in addition to individual artistic research and creative work. Each residency includes housing, access to a local hosting organization, travel, and a monthly stipend.

The local partners, Pioneer Works, 3pts, and Cooper Union—will help the residents immerse themselves in New York’s cultural landscape and provide support with connections to local creative communities and professional networks.

The local partners The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture - The Cooper Union, Pioneer Works, and 3pts will help the residents immerse themselves in the cultural landscape of New York, and offer support with contacts to the local creative communities and professional networks.

Iida jonsson & Ssi Saarinen

Artists Iida Jonsson and Ssi Saarinen expand their collaborative practice through moving image, sound, and spatial installation. For their FCINY residency in New York, they seek to deepen their research into questions of identity, visibility, and belonging, while engaging directly with the city’s layered histories and contemporary art scene. Their time at Pioneer Works will allow them to expand this inquiry in dialogue with New York’s cultural and artistic landscape.

iidassi.com

Aapo Nikkanen

Interested in how new technologies shape our inner lives, artist Aapo Nikkanen approaches hypnosis as a tool for reflection, storytelling, and connection. Through performances and photographs, he invites audiences to enter altered states, where questions of desire, control, and vulnerability come to the surface. During his FCINY residency, organized in collaboration with Pioneer Works, he will develop new performances and photographic works, engage in dialogue with New York’s artistic and intellectual communities, and explore collaborative projects with the city’s networks of critical voices around technology and society.

aapoaapo.com

Ida Kukkapuro

Ida Kukkapuro, creative director of Studio Kukkapuro, works at the intersection of heritage and contemporary design. Motivated by a desire to preserve and expand the legacy of her grandfather, designer Yrjö Kukkapuro, she leads the development of his influential work while shaping strategies for its future relevance. Through the FCINY Design Residency, organized in collaboration with 3pts, she aims to connect with New York’s design community, explore new approaches to legacy preservation, and strengthen the foundation for upcoming museum projects both in New York and in Finland.

idakukkapuro.com & studiokukkapuro.com

Paulina Sawczuk

Paulina’s interest in the FCINY Architecture Residency stems from her position at the intersection of architecture and strategic design management. With a background in architecture and an IDBM master’s thesis on decolonizing practices, she seeks to develop frameworks for more equitable and inclusive architectural practice. The residency at Cooper Union offers an ideal environment to combine Finnish design excellence with New York’s diverse perspectives, fostering dialogue, cross-cultural collaboration, and stakeholder engagement. During the residency, she plans to conduct research, lead workshops, and create implementable tools that bridge Finnish expertise with global humanitarian needs, strengthening both communities and establishing lasting international networks.

Iida jonsson & Ssi Saarinen, Artists (January-March 2026)
Aapo Nikkanen, Artist (April-June 2026)
Ida Kukkapuro, Designer (July-September 2026)
Paulina Sawczuk, Architect (October-December 2026)