AV-arkki is the Centre for Finnish Media Art. Its activities began in 1989, and the association was officially registered in 1991. Its mission is to distribute Finnish media art and culture and to promote its visibility and recognition.
AV-arkki plays a unique role, both in Finland and internationally, in distributing and promoting media art, serving as a knowledge hub, and building professional networks. Its operating model brings together the archiving and promotion of Finnish media art with the development of the field, with these activities closely interconnected.
Artists need and deserve up-to-date and effective distribution channels. In addition to its distribution archive and distribution programme, AV-arkki supports artists by providing tools and advice to help them promote their own work.
AV-arkki distributes Finnish media art both internationally and in Finland. In addition to festivals, museums, exhibitions, and events, AV-arkki distributes media art in Finland for media education and teaching purposes. AV-arkki also organises exhibitions and screenings of Finnish and international media art in collaboration with other organisations.
Every year, AV-arkki submits individual works and curated selections for consideration by hundreds of events around the world. The association’s wide-ranging distribution activities help new works and artists gain visibility on the international festival and art scene.
AV-arkki’s distribution archive is intended for professional use by curators and programmers at art organisations and film festivals, as well as critics and other professionals in the field. Covering the full history and development of Finnish media art, the distribution archive also provides access to older Finnish media artworks and serves the needs of researchers.
AV-arkki provides events with works by individual artists as well as curated programmes. AV-arkki’s staff also contribute their expertise to collaborative projects.
In terms of both membership and the scope of its activities, AV-arkki is Finland’s largest nationwide organisation dedicated to media art. AV-arkki also supports artists by providing tools and advice for promoting their own work.
Over the years, AV-arkki’s activities have received support from the Ministry of Education and Culture, AVEK, the City of Helsinki, Frame Finland, the Nordic Culture Fund, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Kone Foundation, the Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Svenska Kulturfonden, the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Frame Contemporary Art Finland, and the Uudet Klassikot Fund.
AV-arkki warmly thanks all its supporters and partners!
AV-arkki is part of DINAMO – Distribution Network of Artists’ Moving Image Organizations.
Artists working in the field of media art, who live permanently in Finland and/or are Finnish citizens and/or have such a strong connection to Finland that their work can be seen as Finnish media art, can apply to AV-arkki. More information on how to submit your works can be found here.