EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art

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Emma in brief

EMMA is an art museum maintained by the Espoo Art Museum Foundation. The foundation was set up by the city of Espoo in September 2002 when the city’s visual art operations and personnel were transferred to the foundation.

EMMA is a centre providing experiences and knowledge. The new premises in the WeeGee building will be the setting for quality international exhibitions. The 5000 square metres exhibition area is the largest of any museum in Finland.

Emma will display its own collections as well as changing exhibitions of contemporary and 20th century art from Finland and abroad. Two art collections, the City of Espoo collection and the Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection, form the cornerstone of EMMA‘s operations,.

A major part of the Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection (more than 1 900 works) will be on permanent exhibition. The collection’s historical section comprises Finnish classical modernism from the beginning of the 20th century while part of its contemporary art section includes international art.  The collection is one of the most important private collections in Finland.

The City of Espoo collection (c. 2 500 works) includes works on display in Espoo municipal offices, buildings and outdoor areas. Part of the collection will be hung in the museum. The collection was begun in the 1950s and concentrates almost entirely on Finnish contemporary art.

The EMMA museum pedagogy department provides guided tour services, teaching materials, activities and programmes and other projects. Lecture and teaching packages are available on request.  Museum pedagogical services are intended for all ages with the aim of increasing art appreciation and supporting learning.

A fundamental part of EMMA’s activity comprises conservation, research, archiving and documentation.

Director of the Espoo Museum of Modern Art Markku Valkonen
The Director of the Espoo Museum of Modern Art is Markku Valkonen.