Dear Reader,
This is Emma. Today, 19 May, is her name day.
She is about to turn 20 years old and finds herself at a moment of transition, gradually moving from adolescence into adulthood. As she approaches her birthday, she pauses to reflect. Growing up is inevitable, yet in this moment in time it is not without its challenges. The belief systems she was once so firmly raised with are dissolving, asking her to reconsider how she understands the world around her.
For two decades, Emma has made her home in a former printing factory—a striking Brutalist landmark from the 1960s, designed by Finnish architect Aarno Ruusuvuori in Espoo, Finland. Within this distinctive architectural setting, space and art have continuously shaped one another, forming the environment in which she has grown up.
Emma has come of age through relationships: with her communities, with the artists she works alongside, and with the collections she cares for. Collaboration has been central to her development, shaping how she understands her role and her future. While deeply rooted in her local surroundings, her perspective reaches beyond them. Emma listens closely to the cultural conversations unfolding elsewhere and brings them back home, weaving them into her own context.
What makes her distinctive is her ability to bring together modern and contemporary art, and design through a constellation of collections that reflect the many artistic voices of the region. Each voice carries its own story, connecting local histories to broader national and international narratives.
The collections will remain the foundation from which she thinks, learns, and acts. They guide her direction, shape her decisions, and help her understand how she can meaningfully contribute to the wider artistic landscape. At the heart of this future lies a deepening commitment to artists from the Nordic–Baltic region, across modern and contemporary art and design.
Since Emma was born, the remarkable collection of international contemporary art of Saastamoinen Foundation has formed the backbone of her programme and inspired her thinking. In the coming years, Emma and Saastamoinen Foundation will give artists Eglė Budvytytė, Tarik Kiswanson, P. Staff and Jenna Sutela the time and space to develop their first mid-career museum exhibitions in collaboration with international partner institutions. These projects will be supported through production funding, acquisitions and stipends, allowing artists the time needed to focus on their work.
These contemporary voices will be presented alongside pioneers from the Nordic-Baltic region, including Anu Põder, Marija Teresė Rožanskaitė and Osmo Valtonen, creating dialogues across generations.
At the same time, Emma will continue to expand her international outlook. Collaborations with leading museums will bring major exhibitions dedicated to artists such as Pacita Abad, Tunga, SUPERFLEX, Tetsumi Kudo and Nairy Baghramian. Thematic exhibitions will also open up broader historical perspectives, from 100 years of Latin American women artists to explorations of Queer art history in the Nordic–Baltic region from 1800 to today.
Emma’s collections continue to grow, strengthening her ability to preserve and share the creative heritage of the region. New collections will bring additional voices into the institution, including those of former gallerist Antti Piippo and artist Heli Rekula. New voices will also be introduced beyond the museum walls this summer, when Emma opens the doors to the home and studio of designer Björn Weckström.
A renewed permanent presentation dedicated to the pioneering Finnish couple Tapio Wirkkala and Rut Bryk will be developed alongside their Visible Storage display. Additional works by artists and designers—such as those of filmmaker and close friend Pirjo Honkasalo—will be placed in dialogue with the collection. Meanwhile, Collection Kakkonen, Finland’s largest collection of glass and ceramics, assembled by collector and businessman Kyösti Kakkonen, will enter a new chapter through a completely reimagined presentation.
Emma’s home will also continue to evolve. Working with the Berlin-based architectural studio Sub, she is rethinking how visitors move through the building, creating a more open and spacious experience that honours the original architecture while inviting visitors to dwell among art, architecture, design, and the surrounding environment. Greater openness will allow visitors to explore the building’s many offerings more freely, from the restaurant to the neighbouring museums.
Emma’s ambitions extend beyond the museum walls. She is committed to strengthening the presence of art in the public spaces of Espoo and to developing new collaborations with universities and companies. In doing so, she sees the museum not as a boundary but as a starting point for wider engagement with the community.
Emma, as you can see, is ambitious. Together with her remarkable team, I am here to help realise her aspirations and guide her towards the future that lies ahead.
We look forward to welcoming you.
On behalf of Emma,
Yours sincerely,
Krist Gruijthuijsen
Director
More info and interview requests
Iris Suomi, Marketing and Communications Manager, EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, T + 358 44 760 1930 / iris.suomi@emmamuseum.fi
