EMMA and Saastamoinen Foundation Welcome Shohreh Shakoory to Finland as the First Curatorial Fellow of the New Programme

EMMA-Saastamoinen Curatorial Fellowship is a newly established research programme aimed at international curators. Over the course of three years the museum and the foundation will annually invite a curator to Finland for a residency, selected through an open call. Shohreh Shakoory was selected from over 170 applications around the world. Her application stood out for its research-driven approach and genuine interest in the museum’s collections.

“I am thrilled to begin this new chapter in Finland, joining the EMMA team and diving into the extensive art collection of Saastamoinen Foundation", Shakoory enthuses. “Through my research, I explore how art reflects cosmological worldviews leading to political implication which shape our understanding of the present and possible futures. I am especially interested in developing interdisciplinary approaches to exhibition-making that connect philosophy, anthropology, science, and art history.”

The collaboration aims to build international networks, foster exchange of curatorial perspectives, and encourage new research. During the fellowship Shakoory will be working in EMMA’s exhibitions and collections teams. The research period will culminate in an article based on Shakoory’s research into Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection. The article will be published on the museum's online platform, EMMA Zone.

During her stay in Finland, Shakoory will be hosted at HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme residency in Suomenlinna, as part of a partnership supporting the fellowship’s residency structure.

Shohreh Shakoory is an Iranian-German researcher, art historian and curator. She holds a BA in Art History from Rome, an MFA in Media Art from Bauhaus University Weimar, and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Fine Arts Hamburg (HfBK). Shakoory has worked as a curator, producer, researcher, and mediator with institutions including Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Savvy Contemporary, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Sinema Transtopia, and HfBK, contributing to numerous academic conferences and seminars. In addition to her institutional work, she practices sculpture and painting.

EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art was founded in 2006 and is Finland’s largest museum of art, fostering a unique dialogue between modern and contemporary art and design. EMMA is located in Tapiola, Espoo, at the Exhibition Centre WeeGee in a former printing house. The building, designed by architect Aarno Ruusuvuori (1924–1992) is an iconic example of 1960s industrial architecture. The impressive architecture and surrounding nature create exceptional conditions for experiencing EMMA’s exhibitions. The museum hosts around 6 new exhibitions annually, alongside permanent displays of art and design from the Collection Kakkonen, the Saastamoinen Foundation, and the Tapio Wirkkala Rut Bryk Foundation. EMMA is also responsible for providing expertise in public art projects commissioned by the City of Espoo, integrating art into urban spaces and daily life. 

Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection is one of the most significant collections of Finnish and international modern and contemporary art. The collection continues to grow through acquisitions and currently comprises nearly 3,000 works. The foundation, a founding partner of EMMA and one of the museum’s long-term collaborators, deposited the collection at the museum when it was established. It is continuously on view at EMMA through changing displays of the collection exhibition Dialogues. 

HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme is an international artist residency organisation established in 1998. The HIAP residency programme offers time and space for developing new work in dialogue with the local art scene. The goal is to support experimental, cross-disciplinary art practices and to actively contribute to topical debates within and around the context of art.