Artists’ boycott ends after Finnish National Gallery severs ties with arms dealer heir

Finland’s Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma PHOTO: FINNISH NATIONAL GALLERY / SUSANNA KESÄNEN

A months-long artists’ boycott of a prominent Finnish museum came to an end after the institution said it would cut ties with a controversial patron.

Last December, Finnish art workers and artists began protesting Helsinki’s Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma for its ties to arms dealer heir Chaim “Poju” Zabludowicz, whose has long supported pro-Israel initiatives. The Finnish-British billionaire has long sat on the board of the institution’s support foundation and has lent many artworks to the museum over the years.

The strike came to an end when the Finnish National Gallery (of which Kiasma is a part) committed to new guidelines for ethical fundraising.

“The strike was begun out of solidarity with the Palestinians. It matters that our biggest art institution has taken human rights issues seriously,” said Finnish artist Terike Haapoja, who participated in a boycott of the Kiasma.

The boycott lasted five months and involved 220 art workers and four art organizations. Some 150 artists agreed to boycott Kiasma until ties to Zabludowicz were severed.

SEE COMPLETE ARTICLE BY SHANTI ESCALANTE-DE MATTEI

“There are responsibilities to maintain a society that artists can envision, and that we all should want to be a part of. Here are artists actively building a better reality to live and work in, through changes that become commitments, not restrictions.” – Tom of Finland Foundation

Published: 16th May 2023

Categorised in: Events, News