Susanna Pettersson: Art Scene infrastructures, values, and public discussion

Swedish and Finnish art and culture have grown hand in hand. There is not one without the other. When Finland fell into the geopolitical gap after 1809, it had to establish the structures for cultural life from “nothingness”, as the leading historian, author and professor Zacharias Topelius (1818-98) put it. Sweden, being the former mother country, formed a model and Russia, being the new host, created a reference. Balancing between the two became characteristic for decades to come when Finland as a nation built its identity. Sweden, on the other hand, did not have to negotiate its integrity, but to continue strengthen it. This has left a mark in both cultures.

In the following, I have chosen to review infrastructures, values and policies, and public discussion in relation to the development of the art and culture scenes in Finland and Sweden.

Solid infrastructures. Countries in general need investments in infrastructures and organizations that can foster culture. Let us compare capitals Stockholm and Helsinki from this perspective. During the 21^st century in Helsinki Central Library Oodi (2018), and art museum Amos Rex (2018) have opened their doors to the public. A new architecture and design museum is being planned. The extension of the Nationalmuseum is due in 2027. In Stockholm Nationalmuseum was renovated in 2018 (but not extended), and Liljevalchs+ was opened in 2021. The Nobel Prize Museum (planned for 2031) is one of the rare new initiatives in the horizon despite several concrete needs such as investing in ArkDes (architecture and design museum), rethinking the needs of the iconic Moderna Museet that is one of the signature sites in Stockholm, and admitting that Nationalmuseum requires an extension.

The biggest differences are linked with will-power and agility. Finnish authorities (government, city), private foundations and even the business sector have found ways to co-finance projects together. Swedish initiatives are slow to move because of the cautious decision-making processes and the tendency to bury ideas and needs under the long-lasting surveys, especially at the government level. Working across the sectors is also rather rare.

Values and policies. What is the value of culture in the society? How is it voiced? During the pandemic, Swedish minister Amanda Lind talked about the critical and important functions in the society. Her stand was clear: culture is needed, and it is especially important in times of the crisis. The resilience and well-being of people were at stake. She was also a keen advocate for artists. In Finland, the government rhetoric focused on other issues and culture and artists losing their living was clearly not a priority. Regulations and restrictions dominated.

When looking at the government programs, the situation looks different. In Sweden Tidöavtalet (2022) mentions culture only in connection with the so-called culture canon that should define “the Swedish culture”. The Finnish government program from June 2023 addresses culture from a wider perspective. Interestingly, when asked, none of the Finnish political parties were in favor of “canonizing” culture. The freedom of expression, and diversity are – and should be – core values. Art exists for arts sake.

Public discussion. In Sweden culture is celebrated and debated in the news, radio programs, in the printed media and podcasts to mention a few. The perspective is seldom teethless, quite on the contrary. Problematic cases are brought to limelight: such as sverigedemokraternas initiatives to censor art. In Finland the biggest challenge is related to the declining space allocated to culture. Exhibitions, theatre performances, concerts, books, and films get less and less visibility. However, counting the clicks is not a sign of intelligence. One should dare to talk about important issues, not just the ones that attract masses.

To summarize: Sweden has more space for public discussion, but the country suffers from weak public governance that tries to embrace culture by canonizing it. This will influence the reliability of the public sector. Sweden set more focus on artists in the time of crisis than Finland, but on the other hand it stumbles more often in public scandals regarding the censorship of art. Finland is more agile in finding ways to build new infrastructures for culture. It also has a rather innovative funding system that brings different stakeholders together, from the public governance to private foundations and even companies benefiting the artists, the audiences, and organizations – but funding will be a topic for another article.

What is needed then? Ambition, will-power for investments and new ways to collaborate, and celebration of culture as a superpower in the society.