Saastamoinen Foundation Collection Exhibition

The concept of the Saastamoinen Foundation Collection Exhibition on display at EMMA is being renewed. The exhibition installation is being updated section by section into a new exhibition titled Dialogues, the first part of which opened to the public in 2023. The second part opened in 2024.

Dialogues is based on the idea of a dialogue between artworks and is curated mainly from recent acquisitions in the foundation’s art collection. The exhibition concept continues the significant collaboration between Saastamoinen Foundation and EMMA, showcasing the diversity of one of Finland’s most important art collections.

Dialogues is a new chapter in the Saastamoinen Foundation Collection exhibition. It is built around pairs or groups of works that enter into open dialogue with each other in the exhibition space. The installation encourages visitors to reflect on the relationships between the works and to form various comparisons and interpretations.

The exhibition is an open invitation to a dialogue where multiple interpretations can emerge. It is curated collaboratively by art experts from EMMA and Saastamoinen Foundation. The exhibition will be updated periodically in groups of works.

The collection exhibition features works by the following artists:
Henni Alftan, Rasheed Araeen, Jesse Darling, A K Dolven, Giorgio Griffa, Åsa Hellman, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Roni Horn, Emma Jääskeläinen, Lucy McKenzie, Olli Keränen, Christine Sun Kim, Lee Lozano, Leena Luostarinen, Sandra Mujinga, Rashaad Newsome, Berenice Olmedo, Sini Pelkki, Silja Rantanen, Maja Ruznic, Kain Tapper, Rose Wylie, Haegue Yang, Monira Al Qadiri, Ruth Asawa, Louise Bourgeois, Torsten Andersson, Lin Da, Ida Ekblad, Nan Goldin, Heidi Hahn, Samia Halaby, Barbara Kasten, Jonna Kina, Harriet Korman, Sinikka Kurkinen, Paulina Ołowska, Laura Owens, Pauno Pohjolainen, Aura Saarikoski, Dayanita Singh, Martine Syms, Eeva Tiisala and Kaari Upson, Camille Henrot and Marja Viitahuhta.

The Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection is one of the most significant collections of Finnish and international art, with new works continually being acquired. The Foundation is a founding partner of EMMA and one of the museum’s longest-standing collaborators. The art collection was deposited into EMMA’s holdings when the museum was established. Today, the collection includes nearly 3,000 works. The works are owned by the Saastamoinen Foundation, and EMMA is their permanent home.

The foundation of the collection lies in a private family collection from a Kuopio-based industrial family, dating back to the 1910s. The Foundation was established in 1968 to advance society through science and art, and it has since supported the growth, preservation, and presentation of the art collection. The collection’s works are on permanent display at EMMA with regularly updated installations. Additionally, artworks from the collection can be seen in public spaces in Espoo, curated by EMMA.

In conjunction with the opening of the Dialogues exhibition, the Foundation published “30 Works from the Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection”, a selection highlighting recent acquisitions. This publication continues the earlier collection book of the same name published in 2018.