Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma

Kiasma is a museum of contemporary art situated in the heart of Helsinki. It is part of the Finnish National Gallery. Kiasma showcases and collects the art of our time – the very latest artist productions. Kiasma breaks the boundaries of traditional art museums and follows the latest trends in visual culture. The collections include Finnish and foreign art from the 1970s onwards.

In addition to exhibitions, Kiasma organises performances and events. Kiasma Theatre, on the first floor of the museum, is a stage for all kinds of performances. Its programme consists of topical performances and live art productions that are coordinated with current exhibitions in the museum. Comprising experimental works of both Finnish and international performance art, the programme also includes films and installations. Kiasma Theatre collaborates with several festivals and other players in the field of performance art. One of the programme highlights is the URB Festival organised every summer. The Performance_now series presents various new manifestations of performance art every year.

The name of the museum comes from the Greek chiasma, meaning “crossing”. The name reflects the museum’s mission: Kiasma is a place for crossings and perspectives of the most varied kind. Architect Steven Holl’s winning entry in the design competition for the museum was named Chiasma, and the idea of crossing is evident everywhere in the building’s architecture.