Chair of the board of MUU
I have been the chair of the Artist association MUU since 2021.
ARTIST ORGANIZATION:
MUU ry, which has been operating since 1987, is a national multi-art organization that represents and promotes new forms of visual art in Finland. MUU supports artists' professional identity, work, training and networking and acts as a cultural political influencer.
MUU's membership has more than doubled during the 2000s. The growth of the organization tells above all about the development direction of new fields of contemporary art. MUU is currently the second largest member organization of the five visual arts associations of the Finnish Society of Artists representing professional artists. Among the member organizations of Suomen Mediataideverkosto ry, MUU is the largest artist association representing media artists.
MUU HELSINKI CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER
MUU has a project space and a center for new areas of international contemporary art in Kaapelitehdas, which serves artists across the boundaries between arts. The event, exhibition and training space can be converted to different uses, with a room height of six meters and good technical equipment, provides a framework for even the most demanding works and projects.
The move in 2020-21, which took place with the renovation and expansion of MUU's Kaapelitehta premises, focused MUU's exhibition and event activities in the new, expanded premises. The space, which opened under a new name at the beginning of 2021, is an accessible and barrier-free event space for diverse activities. If necessary, the events can be expanded to other premises of the Cable Factory.
As its name suggests, the Contemporary Art Center enables wide-ranging art activities, towards which it is now possible to direct with this space. The space is high, open and bright. The easily accessible and barrier-free space is located at Kaapelitehta, in the middle of a diverse range of events that are also popular with the general public. MUU's event offering has already expanded to new areas, producing, among other things, matinee concerts and events aimed at children and the elderly.
MUU ry's activities are experimental and constantly produce new ways of presenting artistic work. The association supports the versatility of artistic work and the professional development of artists by organizing e.g. trainings and other activities promoting the profession. By building national and international cooperation networks and producing events in different parts of Finland and the world, MUU ry reaches diverse audiences. At the same time, exhibition and event activities aim to facilitate the opportunity for different audiences to enjoy culture, for example by keeping the events free of charge and cooperating with different operators.
MUU ry is a significant player in the Finnish visual arts field, it represents and promotes current art and opens doors to new art forms and ways of working among artists. MUU ry brings together the fragmented field of visual arts outside of other artist organizations and promotes the diversity of tools and freedom of tools.