Welcome to CIMAM to Nina Toppila!
"As a director for one of my city’s most important art institutions I need to vision, develop and lead the institution so that it stays relevant, successful and current in all its activities. Kunsthalle Helsinki is historically important for the Finnish cultural scene and need to stay as relevant also in the future. We present both current and new phenomenon, but also modern and historical ones. We are a non-profit institution presenting collections from organisations that do not have their own exhibition spaces and Kunsthalle Helsinki’s aim is to be open to the public, accessible and inclusive, to foster diversity and sustainability with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing. All those values that are stated by ICOM. My professional activity focuses to bring these out in our institute and to be able to connect my organisation with global actors within these fields."
Nina Toppila, Director, Contemporary Art, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
"I applied first for membership for Kunsthalle Helsinki, but turns out that the institution cannot be a member because we do not have a collection. Kunsthalle Helsinki is a prominent organisation in the Finnish arts field and I feel my membership would profit the entire institution. I am looking for international contacts and networks, new ideas and collaborations. I am hoping the membership would offer me wider perspectives on both the global visual arts field but also knowledge on how museums deal with sustainability in collection work and exhibition production globally, and how other organisations work with diversity and representation etc in both curating and their public and community work. I hope that through my membership in CIMAM I can connect Kunsthalle Helsinki globally, which is essentially important for this organisation in order for it to grow and develop."
About Nina
Since 2022 Nina Toppila is the Director of Kunsthalle Helsinki: a prominent arts organisation and exhibition space functioning in Helsinki since 1928, presenting exhibitions in both visual arts, design and architecture.
From 2019 to 2021 she was Director of Pro Artibus Foundation, a visual arts foundation with a large collection, two exhibition spaces in Helsinki and Tammisaari and three artist’s residencies. The foundation also commissions public art works.
During the period 2011-2018 Nina was Director of Gallery Forum Box, contemporary art gallery in Helsinki.
And earlier in her life, 2005-2011, she was active at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts: producer, amanuensis and Planning Officer for the fine arts education.
She has been director of three different arts organisation since 2011: this means main responsibility for the entire exhibition program of these organisations for over a decade. Besides managing the exhibition profile and program, her responsibilities as director are also strategic, economical and administrative.
Examples of previous exhibitions at Kunsthalle Helsinki during Nina´s period: Young Artists 2023 in cooperation with Finnish Artist’s Society; media artist Saara Ekström’s solo exhibition presenting perspectives on the Anthropocene through media art, sculpture, installations and photography; a large retrospective on Lars-Gunnar Nordström’s constructivist painting and sculpture; and a performative dance installation by Swedish artist Pontus Pettersson.
About CIMAM
CIMAM – International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art – is an Affiliated Organization of ICOM.* Founded in 1962, CIMAM’s vision is a world where the contribution of museums, collections, and archives of modern and contemporary art to the cultural, social, and economic well-being of society is recognized and respected.
Join today, and take part in our network with over 900 contemporary art museum professionals from 90 countries.
Thank you, Nina Toppila, for becoming a member of CIMAM!