Kone Foundation

Helsinki-based Kone Foundation is a major private funder of academic research and art in Finland, with an annual funding of approx. 30 million EUR. The academic disciplines funded by Foundation are humanities, social sciences, environmental science, and artistic research. Besides grantmaking, we provide training and meeting spaces for our grantees. Kone Foundation has two residencies, Saari Residence and Lauttasaari Manor Residence, open for artists and academics from any country.

Kone Foundation wants to make a difference in the world by advancing bold initiatives in research and the arts. We believe in the intrinsic value of free and bold art and research, which make the world a better place. Art and research also make a difference in a more traditional sense – by reducing suffering, for example, and by having a positive social, emotional and financial impact. However, Foundation never sees research and the arts merely as tools. They are intrinsic to a civilised world – a world where research knowledge is part of public discussion in society and where art and culture challenge conventions.

Boldness also means crossing – and even breaking – boundaries. We believe in an interdisciplinary approach and encounters across fields of art and research and between research and the arts. We also believe in unexpected combinations of perspectives. We want to cross boundaries, be open to what is new and take risks.

Above: Lauttasaari Manor in Helsinki. Photo: Tuomas Uusheimo.