EMMA has launched in Finland a multi-year model that combines exhibitions, acquisitions, and concrete funding for artists. The project takes shape at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art and involves four mid-career artists, with the support of foundations, the Municipality, and the State.
Why does the Finnish model change the relationship with artists?
The proposal arises after the basic income introduced in Ireland in 2022 and made permanent in 2026 for 2,000 creative professionals. Each participant receives about 325 euros per week. In Finland, however, the response comes from the museum, not from a generalized subsidy.
Krist Gruijthuijsen, the new museum director and author of the reform, criticizes short exhibition cycles and symbolic compensations of 10,000 euros. According to him, artists work almost full-time and without breaks. For this reason, the institution wants to take direct responsibility.
How does the EMMA program work?
The plan provides four forms of support for each of the four selected artists: purchase of works during the period, funding for external production, a part-time grant for one year, and health coverage in the same timeframe. Additionally, three of the four artists exhibit at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
The program will conclude between 2029 and 2030 with retrospective solo exhibitions. From the start, these exhibitions are designed to be itinerant and developed with other international institutions. EMMA thus aims to support the artist’s journey, not just the single work.
Which artists are involved?
The names already included in the international circuit are Jenna Sutela and P. Staff. Sutela represents Finland at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Staff, on the other hand, participates in a group exhibition curated by Alessandro Rabottini for the In Between Art Film Foundation.
However, critical recognition almost never coincides with stable economic conditions. Gruijthuijsen himself insists on one point: the museum must offer time, tools, and continuity. The goal is to create a space where the artist can develop an important project without immediate precariousness.
Why is the mid-career phase the most fragile?
Sutela has described the art world as frenetic and lacking moments of reflection. For her, time is essential to evaluate the work’s path and its future evolution. P. Staff also sees the initiative as a rare signal because they consider it a long-term project.
That said, Staff observes that many institutions still think with schemes from the 1990s, or even the 1970s. The artist speaks of a generation forced into permanent youth, often without economic stability. The mid-career phase, they add, coincides with life commitments and higher expenses.
Who funds the project and what does it indicate to the market?
The program is supported by the Saastamoinen Foundation, the city of Espoo, and the Finnish State, as well as through direct fundraising by the museum. The exhibitions will also be partly funded through touring. It is a mixed public-private model that shows how resources can be mobilized when there is institutional will.
Overall, the initiative signals that the contemporary art system cannot limit itself to producing events and exhibitions. It must also question the material conditions of those who create. To delve deeper into the topic of cultural protection in Europe, one can consult the European Parliament, UNESCO, and EMMA.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.
