This Week in Art: The Stories Everyone’s Talking About

Trend Alert: Finnish Art’s Big Moment

Suddenly, artists from this small Nordic country of 5.6 million people are making waves around the world — again. 🙂 

• This December, The Met in New York will open its first-ever solo exhibition by a Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck, featuring 60 works from luminous early portraits like The Convalescent to her stark, modern self-portraits.

• In Paris, Pekka Halonen’s lush, light-filled nature scenes will hang in the Petit Palais, a symbolic return to the city where he studied under Paul Gauguin in the 1890s.

• Vienna will see Hugo Simberg’s haunting The Wounded Angel and the Gothic Modern exhibition exploring life, death, and mythology through Nordic eyes.

• Japan is hosting both Tove Jansson’s magical Moomin world and a 300-piece retrospective of design legend Tapio Wirkkala.

• Madrid has Joel Karppanen’s bittersweet Satumaa photo series on Finns chasing the sun in Spain, while in Estonia, Tallinn’s PoCo Pop Art Museum bursts with Katja Tukiainen’s pink, mirror-filled celebration of girl power.

Experts call it “a rise never seen before.” 

Decades of persistence, bold contemporary voices like Eija-Liisa Ahtila and Jenna Sutela, and a refusal to rest on “golden age” laurels have built this moment.

Finnish art is proving that small nations with big visions can make the whole world look their way.

Inspiring, isn’t it? Now, go look up these artists, and you might just find your new favorites 🙂 

(Meanwhile, Juxtapoz just spotlighted another Finnish-trained (Estonian-born) artist: Cats, Tears and Cigarettes, Camilla Mihkelsoo’s moody, feline-filled portrait series in Copenhagen, running from today to the 23th of August.) ❤️ 

TOP 3 ART STORIES THIS WEEK

1. 🇺🇸 Trump vs. Smithsonian: History Rewrite?

Trump just told the Smithsonian museums: show us your plans for America’s 250th birthday. (The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.)

Trump’s team wants to check all exhibits, signs, and events in the next 30 days and remove anything they think is “divisive,” replacing it with “positive” stories about U.S. history. They say Smithsonian museum exhibitions must ‘Celebrate American Exceptionalism’.

First up for inspection: 8 museums, including the African American History Museum and the Portrait Gallery. In 4 months, they expect changes. Critics say this is political interference; the Smithsonian says it will review the request but stick to facts. ⚡

2. 🇹🇭 China Pressure Hits Thai Art Show ⛩️

A major Bangkok exhibition, Constellation of Complicity, got hit with heavy censorship after Chinese officials leaned on Thailand’s government. Works by artists from Hong Kong, Tibet, and the Uyghur diaspora were blacked out or removed to “avoid diplomatic tensions.”

The show at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (which is Thailand’s biggest contemporary art venue) lost flags, films, and even artist names. Curators fled the country after visits from Chinese Embassy staff and Thai police.

One artist, Tibetan-American Doc Tenzin, saw seven pieces altered, including films and flags, and called the censorship “unacceptable.” The center says it tried to keep the show alive while defusing the situation. But for many, it’s another example of art being caught in political crossfire. (Link for more).

3. 🇮🇪 Ireland Asks: Should Artists Keep Their Weekly Paycheck? 🎨

Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts pilot, where 2,000 artists get €325 a week to support their creative work, is ending in February 2026. Now the Culture Minister wants the public’s say on whether to make it permanent. 💵

The scheme launched in 2022 to help artists survive unstable incomes and stay in the arts instead of leaving for more secure jobs. From August 12 to September 5, anyone (artists, arts groups, or just art lovers) can submit feedback online.

Minister Patrick O’Donovan says he’ll bring proposals to Cabinet in Budget 2026. For many artists, this decision could mean the difference between creating full-time… or packing up the studio.

Share your opinion here.

Now, wishing you a cozy evening 🙂 Soak up these golden days of August ☀️🎨— let art, inspiration, and a little relaxation be your guide. We’ll be back next week with more creative fuel. ✨ ❤️