Together Alone: New Open Call for Artists to Address the Crisis

The network of Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes announces the open call for Together Alone – an international art project to document the state of emergency. 

The 17 Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes around the world are launching a new and fast paced open call for Finnish and Finland-based artists and artist groups, whose work have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Through Together Alone the Institutes are looking to commission projects that center around the themes of state of emergency, radical change, resilience, artistic practice in the future, and alone together.

The aim of Together Alone is to create new ways of artistic practices and collaborations in a rapidly changing world. It enables artists to process the ongoing global crisis through the arts, and offer much needed project funding through a fast paced open call. As the mission of the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York is to create dialogue and opportunities for collaboration between Finnish and American audiences, we are proud to be a part of this project. We highly encourage collaborative projects between US and Finland based artists.

“The open call answers to the challenges caused by COVID-19 epidemic. Amongst the crisis, the mission of the Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes remains unchanged. We exist to promote international mobility, visibility and collaboration of Finnish art, culture and science. Through Together Alone we seek to encourage artists of all fields to rethink ways of communication in a situation where mobility and physical contact is restricted”, states Kati Laakso, executive director of the Finnish Benelux institute.

 “In the open call we are especially looking for projects that emphasize broad international collaboration – without physical contact. We wish to ensure the livelihoods of artists in this moment of crisis as well as encourage the continuation of international collaboration. It is these times that the importance of the arts, global collaboration and networks comes to show.”

The Institutes will commission projects that promote the international networking and collaboration of Finnish and Finland-based artists, on the basis of the applications of the open call. Applications that foster international dialogue and working groups that span over the state borders are encouraged. Innovation and experimental approaches are supported, but the projects cannot contradict the regulations of the prevailing state of emergency conditions.

Projects will not be restricted to be implemented within any particular Finnish Institute’s geographic area but should fit to the sphere of activity of all of the institutes. The projects can take place or be available on the artist’s website, on a public web platform, on YouTube or on an alternative platform with a reach to wide audiences. The medium is not restricted and the result can be for example an artwork, work in progress, performance, a diary, a film etc. The Institutes will include the chosen projects as part of their official programs during the spring of 2020.

The open call will be conducted in three phases. First deadline is already March 30, with two more deadlines in April and May. The total fee of an individual project is between 1 500–5 000 € (charges included). All commissioned projects will be completed by June 30 2020.

Click here to read more about the application process and how to apply.

Information in Finnish (and Swedish).

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