EMMA and Saastamoinen Foundation Welcome Pauline Koffi Vandet to Finland as the Second Curatorial Fellow

Selected through an international open call, Pauline Koffi Vandet (b. 1994) brings a research-driven and collaborative approach to curating. In her practice she explores how art can generate new forms of knowledge, community and collective experience, with a particular interest in critical dialogue, collective learning and experimental curatorial methods. 

The three-year initiative EMMA-Saastamoinen Curatorial Fellowship Programme invites an international curator each year to engage with the Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection, contribute new perspectives to collection-based research and exhibition-making, and connect with the Finnish contemporary art field.

“For years, I have been interested in the Finnish contemporary art scene, so I am excited to have been selected as the next EMMA-Saastamoinen Curatorial Fellow and to have the opportunity to work closely with EMMA and the Saastamoinen Foundation,” says Koffi Vandet. “With my special interest in photography, moving images, and media art, I look forward to conducting independent research and engaging with Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection through critical dialogue in collaboration with artists, communities, and audiences.” 

During the fellowship, Koffi Vandet will develop an independent research project while working alongside EMMA's curatorial staff. Her time in Finland will culminate in a research-based article responding to Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection, to be published on EMMA Zone, the museum's digital platform for essays, artist documentaries and behind-the-scenes stories. 

 “As my curatorial practice is rooted in research, methodological experimentation and collectivity, I enter the fellowship with humility about everything I don't know yet and everyone I have yet to meet.” 

Koffi Vandet will be hosted at HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme residency, as part of a partnership supporting the fellowship’s residency structure.

Pauline Koffi Vandet (b. 1994, Denmark/Côte d’Ivoire) is a curator and holds an MA in Visual Culture from University of Copenhagen. Rooted in research, critical dialogue and methodological experimentation, her curatorial practice focuses on communal sustainability and embodied practices. She runs the curatorial duo Koffi & Højgaard with Ida Højgaard Thjømøe. Their practice encompasses both exhibition-making and large-scale public art projects, where site-responsiveness, social engagement and participation constitute foundational elements of their shared practice. 

Koffi Vandet has for several years been affiliated with Fotografisk Center, Denmark’s leading art centre for photography in an expanded field, where she served as acting director in 2023–2024.

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

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.