Draft:Paula Toppila

Paula Toppila is a Finnish curator, director and art historian. She has worked as the Executive Director and Curator of Pro Arte Foundation Finland since 2007. Toppila has produced the annual public art commissions for the IHME Contemporary Art Festival (2009-2018) by the following artists Antony Gormley, Susan Philipsz, Superflex, Miroslaw Balka, Yael Bartana, Jeremy Deller, Katerina Seda, Theaster Gates with The Black Monks of Mississippi and Henrik Håkansson. Christian Boltanski ’s work The Heart Archive was performed in four city libraries in different parts of Finland. Toppila led the organizational transformation from the IHME Contemporary Art Festival to IHME Helsinki, which brings together art, science and climate work in annual public commissions and events. The aim of IHME Helsinki is to promote freedom of art in the framework of life-sustaining systems, eco-social learning and adaptation to environmental crisis. Toppila has also curated and produced the IHME Helsinki Commissions by the following artists: Jana Winderen, Katie Paterson, Amar Kanwar, Hiwa K and Cooking sections. Toppila has worked as a curator at Frame Finnish Visual Art in 1998-2000, and has during that time curated several Finnish and international exhibitions both in Finland and abroad, e.g. Finland’s representation at the Sao Paulo Biennale in 2001 and the fourth Pirkanmaa Triennial in Tampere Art Museum in 2009. Toppila has co-curated Momentum – The Nordic Contemporary Art Biennale in Moss, Norway in 2000. She has contributed to Siksi, Taide, Flash Art and Framework magazines. Education Toppila studied art history at the University of Turku, Finland. In 1996-97 she attended the curatorial studies of Curatorial Training Programme of De Appel Foundation in Amsterdam, which culminated in a group show “It always jumps back and finds it´s way”. She has also vocational degree in management and leadership at Business College, Helsinki.

Curatorial statement
To be a curator today means to Toppila an active and creative role in society and to explore what does freedom of art within life-sustaining systems mean. Toppila is particularly interested in learning by doing together with visionary artists, researchers, diverse audiences and other collaborators what is the role of art and art institution in sustainability transformation. Art and culture are pivotal in creating cultural change needed in environmental crisis.

Career
Sustainable Visual Arts network, founding member and chair 2024 C02 Calculator for Visual Arts, vice-chair of the Steering Group World Weather Network, programme team member

Memberships
CIMAM International Committee of Museums and Collections of Modern Art IKT International Association of Curators SARV ry Finnish association of Art Critics SKY Finnish Association of Contemporary Art Curators

Exhibitions and projects
IHME 2024: Cooking Sections, Maaleipä-haaste, national bread challenge IHME 2023: Hiwa K, Chicago Boys – While We Were Singing, They Were Dreaming, participatory project in Helsinki and in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq IHME 2022: Amar Kanwar, Learning from Doubt, online course in Finland and in Nepal IHME 2021: Katie Paterson, To Burn, Forest, Fire, series of incense ceremonies IHME 2020: Jana Winderen, Listening to the Dead Zones, site-specific sound installation IHME 2019: editor of IHME 2009-2019: 10 X Art in Public, Hatje Cantz, book IHME 2018: Henrik Håkansson, THE BEETLE, film in YLE Areena IHME 2017: Theaster Gates and The Black Monks of Mississippi: The Black Charismatic, a film, an installation, 4 LP vinyl records and a live concert IHME 2016: Katerina Seda, Tram Buskers Tour, 300 hours of live music in all tram lines of Helsinki IHME 2015: Jeremy Deller, Do Touch – Meet the starts of our museums, museum collection items in public spaces IHME 2014: Yael Bartana, True Finn, film in Yle Areena IHME 2013: Miroslaw Balka, Signals, partipatory project in collaboration with eight city district associations IHME 2012: Christian Boltanski, Heart Archive, participatory project in collaboration with libraries in Helsinki, Joensuu, Vaasa and Rovaniemi IHME 2011: SUPERFLEX, Modern Times Forever (Stora Enso headquarters), film and sculpture IHME 2010: Susan Philipsz,, sound installation IHME 2009: Antony Gormley, Clay and Collective Body, participatory art work Pirkanmaa triennial 2009, TampereArt Museum.

Artists: Jan Anderzen, Bargain-ryhmä,

Krister Gråhn, Hanna Jaanisoo, Villu Jaanisoo, Henna Joronen, Hanna Koljonen, Anna-Kaisa Laine, Henrietta Lehtonen, Johanna Lonka, Aino Louhi, Hannamari Matikainen, Fanni Niemi-Junkola, Kaija Papu, Saara Maria Piispa, Marja Pirilä, Antti Pussinen/Martta-Kaisa Virta, Tomas Regan, Kati Roover, Tuomo Rosenlund, Minna Sarvanne, Sanni Seppä, Jyrki Siukonen, Kaisa Soini, Minna Suoniemi, Sami Sänpäkkilä, Tiitu Takalo, Samppa Törmälehto, Jarno Vesala ja Sampsa Virkajärvi. Momentum The Nordic Biennial for Contemporary Art, Moss, Norja. Biennial Exhibitions and publication in collaboration co-curators Jacob Fabricius, Ina Blom and the leadin curator Jonas Ekeberg. 52 Nordic artists.