(Picture: OAF international mentors Jennifer Gilbert on the left and Pierre Leichner on the right)
To celebrate Europe Day (9 May), we present the festival’s international activities and partners. Come and listen to the European anthem Ode to Joy performed by Hammond artist Kalle Salonen!
Internationality is reflected in the festival’s activities in many different ways. OAF and Pertti’s Choice have organised several international showcase events in 2019-2023. Last year’s Imagine Everyday! Outsider Art Finland exhibition featured more than 60 artists at the Cultural Institute of Paris from 14 April to 14 July 2023. Each year, visiting experts from the field of outsider art are invited to be part of the OAF artistic team. OAF residency programme offers opportunities for foreign artists to work in Finland and the Outsider Art Finland internationalisation programme supports international projects by Finnish artists. Internationalisation has been supported by OKM, Frame Finland, Music Finland, the Saastamoinen Foundation and NextGenerationEU.
International cooperation is at its best a joint development and enrichment of perspectives between artists and arts organisations. The inclusive curating model developed by OAF brings together the OAF artistic team and international partners on an annual basis. This year’s international mentors, Pierre Leichner and Jennifer Gilbert, drew attention to the diversity of the programme, noting that it is fantastic to have such a diverse collection of outsider art and marginalised artists from different backgrounds. OAF’s approach of empowering outsider artists in the curatorial process also generated a good discussion in the working group about the challenges of the art scene, the structures that perpetuate injustice and traditional expert power.
Jennifer and Pierre selected three of their favourites from the programme curated by the working group, one of whom will be awarded the 2024 Artist of the Year in August. We would like to congratulate Jennifer and Pierre on their selection of artists of international interest! Congratulations to Satu and Maima Tani, Madde Matilda and Jussi Ruusulampi!!!
Jennifer Gilbert is a Manchester-based gallerist, freelance producer, and curator, working with self-taught, disabled, neurodivergent, deaf and overlooked artists. In 2017 she launched the Jennifer Lauren Gallery to showcase and empower artists internationally, having previously managed a national arts charity for under-represented artists. In her freelance role, Jennifer helps disabled, deaf and neurodivergent artists with their professional development, alongside providing mentoring and more general support.
Pierre Leichner is the artistic director of the Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival (VOAF). The festival aims to create more opportunities for outsider artists to showcase their talents. Collaboration between the festivals will open up international performance opportunities for Finnish and Canadian artists. Last year, VOAF presented an OAF film screening in Vancouver, featuring four Finnish short films. The VOAF team also participated in the 2023 OAF Festival and was inspired by the inclusive curation model. Check out VOAF team video presentation
