Positioning - A Symposium on Curatorial Thinking in the Nordic-Baltic Region & Beyond

PUBLICS (opens a new window) in Helsinki expands The Centre For Curatorial Thinking activities with a new annual international symposium focusing on contemporary art’s relationship to Curatorial Thinking and Publicness in, across, and in relation to Finland, the Nordic Baltic region, and beyond.

Positioning A Symposium on Curatorial Thinking in the Nordic-Baltic Region & Beyond is organised and co-hosted by PUBLICS with Amos Rex and Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma.

Positioning is a globally networked enquiry into current and future curatorial thinking in the Nordic-Baltic region during a time of urgencies, and of radical uncertainty for culture and human rights. We come together to consider how we can think and work together, how to position ourselves with others, and how to bridge the local-regional-global curatorial nexus within and beyond the region.

A rethinking of these relation is necessary to expand our comprehension of this factious ‘present’, with ever-increasing inequalities, political fragilities, increased discrimination, structural violence, conflict, and civic uncertainty. Positioning provides a critical space for much-needed dialogue between diverse local and regional actors, agencies, and international contemporary art scenes and curatorial thinkers.

Position Papers, Dialogues, Responses: Speakers include Nick Aikens, Bassam El Baroni, Ute Meta Bauer, Biljana Ćirić, Catherine David, Mariam Elnozahy, Charles Esche, Giovanna Esposito Yussif, Liisa-Rávná Finbog, Annie Fletcher, Catalin Gheorghe, Max Hannus, Tom Holert, Valentinas Klimašauskas, Maria Lind, Kieran Long, Nkule Mabaso, Marti Manen, Serubiri Moses, Museum Why Network, Paul O’Neill, Antra Priede, Lisa Rosendhal, Paula Toppila, Ann Mirjam Vaikla, and Mi You, among others.

For the Record: Brief Curatorial Positionings and Moderation by Nella Aarne, Anne Julie Arnfred, Mélanie Bouteloup, Ramiro Camelo, Taru Elfving, Marcia Harvey Isaksson, Bilge Hasdemir, Satu Herrala, Miina Hujala, Helen Kaplinsky, Kaisa Karvinen, Anne Szefer Karlsen, Solvita Krese, Irina Mutt, Nontobeko Ntombela, Itha O’Neill, Sten Ojavee, Satu Oksanen, Piia Oksanen, Ingrid Orman, Evelyn Raudsepp, Sunnyside Space, Sakari Tervo, and Eveliina Tuulonen, among others.

Artist Commissions/ Interventions by Natalia Beylis, Mia Wennerstrand, and Nari Tea, with film screenings by Noor Abed, Agnė Jokšė, Shubhangi Singh, and Future Futures network / PUBLICS Youth 2024.

Positioning is the first symposium in a series of four that considers Curatorial Thinking, Learning, Instituting, Collaborating, and explores the importance of Curatorial Thinking and its public discourse across Finland, the Nordic-Baltic region, and internationally. Employing a ‘work-together’ methodology, combining and sharing networks and knowledge resources, the symposium series is a collaboration across a dispersed curatorial network of 100+ cultural agencies from the Nordic-Baltic regions actively taking part in The Centre for Curatorial Thinking program since 2023.

The first edition of Positioning takes place in Finland to instigate dialogue between local, regional, and international thinkers. Admission is free and open all.

The Institute is supporting two Irish participants at the Symposium: Annie Fletcher, Director of IMMA, and musician Natalia Beylis, performing at Amos Rex alongside Finnish artists Lau Nau, Oli Aarni, Marja Ahti, and Cucina Povera.

PUBLICS partners with Saastamoinen Foundation 2025-2028. For more information: www.positioningsymposium.com (opens a new window)