The Art of Small connects artists, audiences, and new collectors through an exhibition of affordable contemporary artworks and compact community programmes offered by KUVI- supported program of Catalysti Transcultural Artists in Finland, with the support of Culture Cooperative TIcAS.
In 2026, the Art of Small is presented in Myymälä2 gallery (Helsinki) between the 13th – 29th August 2026, with the exhibition opening taking place on Thursday 13th August at 18:00.
We developed this multi-year project as a response to tightening public funding, increasing precarity for artists, unequal visibility, and often inaccessible pathways into contemporary art for wider audiences.
At the same time, we noticed another issue: contemporary art is often communicated in ways that unintentionally create psychological distance. Many people are curious about art, yet do not feel welcome, knowledgeable enough, or financially capable of participating or supporting it.
The Art of Small proposes a more inclusive framing of contemporary art—one that seeks to reduce barriers to engagement and broaden access across audiences, artists, and institutions.
Curatorially, The Art of Small adopts a hybrid exhibition model that combines an open call for early-career and independent artists with direct invitations to mid-career and established practitioners through collaborations with freelance curators. This structure is designed not only to ensure diversity and curatorial quality, but also to create meaningful visibility spillover between artists at different stages of their careers.
The open call particularly encourages applications from early-career, independent, and underrepresented artists working across contemporary art disciplines. Rather than focusing solely on commercial potential, the selection process values artistic quality, conceptual strength, diversity of perspectives, and the ability of the work to contribute to broader conversations around contemporary art, accessibility, and collecting culture.
WHO
We see contemporary art not only as a cultural product, but also as social infrastructure. Because of this, we partner with private actors, organizations and institutions that can all play a role in sustaining the ecosystem ethically.
In 2026, The Art of Small partners with Helsinki Design Week to organize the group exhibition this time at Myymälä2 (Uudenmaankatu 23, Helsinki) between 13 August and 29 August 2026.
Our brand collaborations this year extend to Vintage Verstas, Leimä ja Lipasto, Good Guys who help us create a more welcoming, socially engaging, and community-oriented exhibition environment in an intimate setting.
In 2026, Karoliina Korpilahti and Ksenia Kaverina contributed to the project as members of the advisory curatorial board.
Why is The Art of Small different from other exhibitions?
We always thought of The Art of Small as a more intimate and human-scale exhibition experience than is typical in contemporary art contexts. Instead of presenting artworks in a formalised setting, we have created a space that feels closer to a living environment in hopes of creating an exhibition experience that feels open and welcoming, where contemporary art is encountered as something approachable and relatable rather than remote or exclusive.
Small artworks remind us that intimacy matters. They intimidate us less, and feel like a private encounter with something quietly revealed. This lowers psychological barriers often associated with contemporary art and invites the observer into a more direct and personal encounter with the works.
Why is the Art of Small attractive for collecting?
In the Art of Small, we intend to make collecting part of the same experience as visiting. The exhibition context allows people to form personal connections with individual works before making any decision about ownership.
We have formulated the exhibition principles to lower the entry point into collecting. With all works priced at up to 300€, the exhibition offers an opportunity for curious visitors and first-time buyers to begin building a relationship with collecting through meaningful, original artworks by practising contemporary artists.
For The Art of Small 2026, we are bringing together 60–70 contemporary artworks by 25–30 artists working in Finland across different career stages and disciplines. By presenting emerging, mid-career, and established practitioners alongside one another, we aim to generate audience spillover and expanded visibility across the field, while offering visitors and collectors a diverse selection where they can move between very different artistic practices and discover works they might not have come across otherwise.
Alongside this, we operate on a zero-commission model that ensures all sales revenue goes directly to the artists, without intermediary cuts. In doing so, we aim to strengthen the financial sustainability of participating artists, increase transparency in how value circulates within the exhibition, and support a more direct relationship between artists and the audiences engaging with their work.