FNG Research is the open-access web magazine of the Finnish National Gallery for art museum and art history professionals internationally.

This issue brings together a selection of articles that explore art from historical, material, and contemporary perspectives and dive into the processes of exhibition-making, as director of the Sinebrychoff Art Museum Kirsi Eskelinen states in the Editorial.

The materiality of sculpture takes centre stage in Mari Tossavainen’s study, which traces the shift from working in plaster to marble and bronze in Finland from the late 19th century to early 20th century. Personal documents also come into focus, as Marja Sakari’s article highlights the importance of diaries in understanding Lauri Anttila’s artistic thinking.

Saara Hacklin reflects on the challenges of classifying contemporary art, as well as on the meanings of subjectivity and participation in artistic research and museum practices. Contemporary exhibition-making is explored by Piia Oksanen through Edith Karlson’s sculptural installations and using a distinctive curatorial approach.

The issue also features two contributions by Gill Crabbe: thoughts on the Sinebrychoff Art Museum’s ‘Night’ exhibition with an interview with the poet Henriikka Tavi, who wrote poems specially for the show; and dive into Kiasma’s current exhibition which examines contemporary Sámi art, including an interview with curator Petra Laiti.

Finally, Anna Luhtala reports on the Finnish Art Society’s 180th anniversary symposium, situating discussions of national identity within broader transformations in the Finnish art field.

Contents:

KIRSI ESKELINEN: Editorial: New Approaches to Research and Curatorial Practices

MARI TOSSAVAINEN: From Plaster and Marble to Lost-wax Bronze: The Materiality of Sculpture from the Helsinki Exhibition of 1876 to Early 20th-century Finland

MARJA SAKARI: Diaries as a Primary Source for Understanding Lauri Anttila's World

SAARA HACKLIN: Thoughts on Disintegrating Artwork – Artistic Research, Museum Work, and the Categories of Art

GILL CRABBE: A Night to Remember

PIIA OKSANEN: Light Weight, A Baroque Way of Curating – Edith Karlson’s Sculptures in Exhibition

GILL CRABBE: Sámi Art Speaks Out at Kiasma

ANNA LUHTALA: The Finnish Art Society’s 180th Anniversary Symposium ‘Constructed Nationality: Transitions and Forces of Change in Visual Arts’ – The History of the Finnish Art Field