N°99 Kiasma
Nú Ninja Helga Mjöll2022-04-30T12:53:09+01:00The Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma is part of the Finnish National Gallery, Finland’s largest art museum organisation. The museum also houses the Kiasma Library, which specialises in contemporary art, and the Kiasma Theatre, a stage for contemporary live art.
Kiasma organises exhibitions, performances and events and their goal is to make contemporary art accessible to everyone. The museum also preserves art. In fact, their art collections play a significant part in reserving Finland’s cultural heritage. Currently, Kiasma has over 8,500 contemporary artworks in its collections by around 8000 artists and about 100 new works are added each year.
Demand for a contemporary art museum in Helsinki arose as early as the 1960s, although debates on how it should be done delayed decisive action for three decades. It wasn’t until in 1996 that the construction of Kiasma began along Mannerheiminti, a boulevard in the centre of Helsinki.
The building is designed by the American architect Steven Holl and the museum takes its name from a genetics term indicating the intertwining of two chromosomes, Chiasma. It is a metaphor the museums wish to become a place of interactions rather than solely an exhibition venue.
The Kiasma was opened in 1998, on a gross floor area of 12,000 m2, distributed on 5 levels. The curves of the building are designed to work with the seasonal change of light in Helsinki and optimise natural light inside the museum all year around, including during the Nordic winter when sunlight is merely a horizontal beam.
Click here for Kiasma’s official site