Kiasma Art Museum

The Kiasma Art Museum is situated in Mannerheiminaukio Square, not far from the Parliament. Prominently sited in downtown Helsinki and built with State and private sponsorship, Kiasma opened to the public in June 1998. The museum occupies the modern unusual building, which was constructed to the design by American architect Steven Holl and called "kiasma" due to its X-shape form. The concept of Kiasma involves the building's mass intertwining with the geometry of the city and landscape which are reflected in the shape of the building. The transparent ceilings, walls and ramps of 25 galleries let the guests appreciate the works of contemporary art in natural light.

The Kiasma Museum presents contemporary works of art from the 1960s and onwards and provides a variety of special art experiences. The Museum offers exhibitions, interdisciplinary artistic projects, performance art, dance, music, media art and films, confirming that architecture, art, and culture are all integral parts of the city and landscape. The Kiasma's world is also made up of conversational interludes, encounters with artists, festivals, seminars, familiarization with the web, browsing in the bookstore, and workshop experiments. The Kiasma is an ensemble in continuous movement where performances and projects live, overlap and intertwine at different speeds. Collections and large-scale exhibitions are showcased for a longer period of time while the shorter life-spans of smaller exhibitions and theatre pieces attest to a more rapid cycle. Kiasma lives also very much in the here and now, reacting and commenting on the events and phenomena of the day.

The Kiasma Theatre's programme includes drama, dance, performance, music, multimedia, film and video art & seminars, lectures and public discussions.