Panel discussion: Race and Racism in Art Institutions

The panel discussion will explore the state of arts education in the Nordic region and beyond, with a particular focus on access and representation, within contemporary art institutions. Central to the conversation is the question of who is given visibility, opportunity, and authority within the arts sector, and why Afro-Nordic contemporary art curators, programmers, directors, and cultural leaders remain underrepresented in countries such as Finland despite growing conversations around diversity and inclusion. The discussion will also examine how Blackness and the contributions of Black and brown artists, thinkers, and cultural workers have historically been excluded or erased from dominant art historical narratives. The panelists: author and curator Alayo Akinkugbe, educator and writer Maryan Abdulkarim and curator Päiviö Omwami. will reflect on the role of educational institutions, museums, galleries, and funding bodies in shaping these narratives, while considering how colonial histories and Eurocentric frameworks continue to influence contemporary arts education and cultural production today. Alayo Akinkugbe is the author of Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About “History of Art”?. Päiviö Omwami curated the exhibition Invisible Race at the Finnish Museum of Photography. Maryan Abdulkarim has written Noin 10 myyttiä feminismistä ( 10 Myths About Feminism ) together with Eveliina Talvitie. The panel discussion aims to identify meaningful ways to support emerging and established practitioners in the contemporary art field and will be moderated by Neicia Marsh, former Culture and Society Programme Director at the Finnish Institute UK and Ireland, currently Curator at Autograph ABP.