Tiftö Foundation makes a significant donation to HAM

Tiftö Foundation, a foundation dedicated to promoting contemporary Finnish art, has awarded a grant of 120 000 euros to HAM Helsinki Art Museum. The grant will be allocated for the 2025 Helsinki Biennial and will enable the commissioning of a work by one artist. The grant is Tiftö Foundation’s first donation to a museum. 

Tiftö Foundation is a non-profit foundation established by Rafaela Seppälä in 2019 to promote Finnish contemporary art and the careers of artists internationally. At its’ own discretion it grants financial support to partners who further the foundation’s goals. The €120 000 donation to HAM is intended to cover the fees and production costs for one artist for the 2025 Helsinki Biennial.

“Our donation to HAM and the Helsinki Biennial is the first step in what we hope will be a long-term collaboration to realise the foundation’s goal of promoting the visibility of Finnish artists abroad and supporting their work. HAM, located in our home city of Helsinki, is an excellent springboard for Finnish art, and the Helsinki Biennial, as an ambitious event, is one of the key promoters of Finnish art. We expect a lot from the cooperation that has now begun,” says Rafaela Seppälä, Chair of the Board of Tiftö Foundation.

“It is great to announce this collaboration at the end of HAM’s first year as a foundation. Tiftö Foundation’s grant is meaningful to us in many ways, and it creates even more faith and enthusiasm for the future of HAM and the Helsinki Biennial. Our aim is to make Helsinki Biennial one of the most well-known international art biennials, and at the same time help to focus international attention on the Finnish art scene. Tiftö Foundation’s donation is both a support and an incentive for us to reach this,” says Arja Miller, Director of HAM and Helsinki Biennial.

Photo: Rafaela Seppälä and Arja Miller. © HAM / Minna Kurjenluoma.