Kiasma
Kiasma is Finland's national museum of contemporary art, operating since 1998 in a Steven Holl-designed building in central Helsinki as part of the Finnish National Gallery. It serves the general public, schools, families, and corporate clients via exhibitions, a theatre, a café, a shop, and educational programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kiasma does
Kiasma (legal name: Nykytaiteen museo Kiasma) is Finland's only dedicated museum of contemporary art, operating since 1990 and housed since 30 May 1998 in a Steven Holl-designed building at Mannerheiminaukio 2 in central Helsinki. The institution is part of the Finnish National Gallery (Kansallisgalleria) — governed by the National Gallery Act alongside the Ateneum and Sinebrychoff art museums — and is primarily funded through Finnish state appropriations. Kiasma collects, preserves, and exhibits contemporary art from approximately 1970 onwards, holding around 8,800 works and adding roughly 100 new acquisitions annually.
The museum's product surface spans the physical building (five floors, ~12,000 sqm total / ~9,100 sqm of museum-use space, including galleries, Kiasma Theatre on the first floor, Kiasma Library on the fifth floor, and on-site café and shop), a curated programme of rotating exhibitions and events, and digital extensions through Kiasma Online Art (onlineart.kiasma.fi) and the cross-National Gallery Museoshop.fi e-commerce store. Sub-brands and programmes include Kiasma Theatre for live performance art, the annual URB urban culture festival, educational outreach (school group visits, Babies Play with Colour workshops, guided tours in five languages), and venue rental for corporate and private events.
Commercial revenue comes from admissions (€23 desk / €21 online; €13 discounted; free under 18), the Kiasma Café, the museum shop, guided tours (€125/group + admission), workshops (€29 per Babies Play with Colour adult–child pair), venue rentals, and the national Museokortti annual pass (€86/year; €79 renewal). Payment integrations include Paytrail, Smartum, Edenred, ePassi, and Virikeseteli voucher systems. The museum distributes via its physical location, online ticketing, and digital collection platform, and it manages Finland's contribution to the Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
Kiasma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kiasma
- Legal name
- Nykytaiteen museo Kiasma
- Website
- https://kiasma.fi
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kiasma is Finland's national museum of contemporary art, operating since 1998 in a Steven Holl-designed building in central Helsinki as part of the Finnish National Gallery. It serves the general public, schools, families, and corporate clients via exhibitions, a theatre, a café, a shop, and educational programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kiasma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contemporary Art Museum
- NAICS
- Museums (712110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Museums (THAJADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)
Keywords
Where Kiasma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kiasma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Admission Tickets: Museum entry fees from individual visitors, groups, and special exhibitions. Standard tickets €23 (desk) / €21 (online), discounted €13, free for under 18.
- Museum Shop: Physical museum shop and online Museoshop selling exhibition-related products, books, Finnish design, and children's items. Supports Kansallisgalleria museums' operations.
- Kiasma Café: On-site café serving lunches (buffet Tue-Fri 11-14) and café products. Has A-oikeudet (alcohol license) and summer terrace. Operated with Soupster lunch application.
- Venue Rental: Spaces rented to businesses and associations for meetings and seminars. Contact via [email protected] for pricing and availability.
- Guided Tours: Public free tours on first Fridays; private group tours priced at €125/group + admission for 1-20 persons, in multiple languages.
- Workshops: Educational workshops including Babies Play with Colour at €29 per adult-child pair, and other art-making workshops.
- Annual Pass (Museokortti): Annual museum card valid for unlimited visits, priced at €86/year, renewal €79/year for current card holders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Museum Ticket |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Discounted Ticket |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Children and Youth |
| Subscription | Annual | Museokortti Annual Pass |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group Guided Tour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Babies Play with Colour Workshop |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Café Lunch Buffet |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Kiasma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kiasma is a museum of contemporary art in central Helsinki that collects, preserves, and exhibits contemporary art (approximately post-1970 onwards), holding around 8,800 works with roughly 100 new acquisitions annually. Its offerings include rotating and collection-based gallery exhibitions, the Kiasma Theatre for live performance and film, guided tours in multiple languages, art workshops for adults and children, a museum shop with online storefront, an on-site café, a specialized contemporary art library, and the free Kiasma-klubi membership program. The museum also manages Finland's participation in the Venice Biennale Nordic Pavilion and hosts the annual URB Festival for urban culture.
Product overview
Kiasma is a museum of contemporary art operating as part of the Finnish National Gallery alongside Ateneum Art Museum and Sinebrychoff Art Museum. The institution operates a unified physical and digital portfolio comprising the main museum (approximately 8,800 works in collection) with five gallery floors, Kiasma Theatre for live performance art, Kiasma Café and Museum Shop on the first floor, and the Kiasma Library on the fifth floor. Digital offerings include Kiasma Online Art (web art collection), the online Museum Shop (museoshop.fi), and the free Kiasma-klubi membership. Educational programming includes guided tours in multiple languages, Babies Play with Colour workshops for infants, general art workshops, and the annual URB Festival. The URB Festival showcases urban culture and video art. Tickets are sold online (€21) and at the museum (€23), with free admission for under 18s and monthly free days on first Fridays. The museum targets all audiences with accessible, multilingual services and accessibility features including wheelchair access, induction loops, and gender-neutral facilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kiasma-teatteri (Kiasma Theatre): A stage for contemporary live art performances, films, and installations
- Kiasma Online Art
- URB Festival
Products and services
- Kiasma Museum Museum of contemporary art in central Helsinki, part of the Finnish National Gallery. Collects, preserves, and exhibits contemporary art from approximately 1970 onwards. Five-floor museum with galleries, Kiasma Theatre, library, museum shop, and café.
- Kiasma Theatre
Quantifiable outcome
- 378,509 visitors in 2019 record year, exceeding 3 million cumulative visitors by 2011
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kiasma
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Kiasma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature3 records
Kiasma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Saamelaismuseo Siida (Sami Museum Siida)coreJoint exhibition partnership for 'Entiset ainoat' (We Who Remain) showcasing Sami contemporary art. Kiasma hosts the exhibition 27 March - 6 September 2026, with part shown at Siida in Inari from October 2026. This is Kiasma's first major Sami art exhibition. Curated by Petra Laiti with over 20 artists from Finland, Sweden, and Norway.
- Kiasma Support Foundation (Kiasman tukisäätiö)coreFoundation that supports Kiasma's exhibitions, publications, and acquisitions. Provides funding for museum programming and collection development.
- DagmarminorCorporate partnership as part of Kiasma's corporate strategy. Current partner of the museum.
- URB FestivalcoreAnnual urban culture festival organized by Kiasma featuring street dance, performance art, and contemporary culture. URB 26 planned for June 2026 (3-7 June).
- Baltic CircleminorPartnership with Baltic Circle festival for collaborative performance programming, e.g., Kauri Sorvari: Forevermore (November-December 2026).
- Helsinki City Cultural AffairscoreCollaboration on Kulttuurin kummilapset (Cultural Godchildren) program for Helsinki children born 2020 onwards, involving HAM, Amos Rex, Ateneum, Kiasma, Sinebrychoff, and orchestras.
- Finnish National GallerycoreKiasma is part of the Finnish National Gallery along with Ateneum Art Museum and Sinebrychoff Art Museum. Governed by National Gallery Act. Shares collections, administration, and research functions.
- Venice Biennale / Nordic PavilioncoreKiasma manages/coordinates the Nordic Pavilion exhibition at Venice Biennale. The 2026 artists for the Nordic Pavilion have been announced.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kiasma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tate Modern: Large global contemporary art institution in London. Operates a much broader portfolio with higher scale, but comparable in core mission of contemporary art collection, exhibition, and digital reach.
- Centre Pompidou: National modern and contemporary art museum in Paris with iconic architecture (Renzo Piano/Richard Rogers) analogous to Kiasma's Steven Holl landmark. Operates as a broader multi-disciplinary cultural venue with shop, café, and venue rentals.
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA): Major U.S. contemporary art museum with a focus on post-1945 art, educational programs, performance programming, and venue-based retail/F&B — comparable operating model at larger U.S. scale.
Direct peers
- Moderna Museet: Sweden's national museum of modern and contemporary art in Stockholm. Comparable in collecting focus (post-1900), exhibition programming, and Nordic cultural positioning.
- HAM Helsinki Art Museum: City of Helsinki contemporary art museum. Direct competitor for Helsinki cultural tourism share and collaborator in the Kulttuurin kummilapset program alongside Kiasma.
- Amos Rex: Helsinki-based contemporary and modern art museum with immersive digital installations. Targets overlapping Helsinki audiences with similar contemporary programming and ticketed exhibitions.
- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art: Denmark's leading modern and contemporary art museum with similar scale, sculpture-park setting, café, and shop model. Closest Nordic contemporary art peer in operating concept.
- Sinebrychoff Art Museum: Third Finnish National Gallery museum focused on old European art. Operates the same statutory model as Kiasma with shared administration and audience overlap.
- Ateneum Art Museum: Sister museum under the Finnish National Gallery system. Both are statutory national art museums in Helsinki curating permanent and rotating exhibitions, sharing collections, administration, and research functions.
Emerging players
- Saamelaismuseo Siida: Sámi Museum and Nature Centre in Inari. Direct co-development partner with Kiasma on the 2026 'Entiset ainoat' Sami contemporary art exhibition and operates adjacent indigenous-art-focused programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kiasma social profiles
Digital presenceKiasma compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Kiasma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kiasma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Kiasma subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Kiasma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kiasma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kiasma
What does Kiasma do?
Kiasma is a museum of contemporary art in central Helsinki that collects, preserves, and exhibits contemporary art (approximately post-1970 onwards), holding around 8,800 works with roughly 100 new acquisitions annually. Its offerings include rotating and collection-based gallery exhibitions, the Kiasma Theatre for live performance and film, guided tours in multiple languages, art workshops for adults and children, a museum shop with online storefront, an on-site café, a specialized contemporary art library, and the free Kiasma-klubi membership program. The museum also manages Finland's participation in the Venice Biennale Nordic Pavilion and hosts the annual URB Festival for urban culture.
Is Kiasma a public or private company?
Kiasma is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Kiasma founded?
Kiasma was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kiasma based?
Kiasma is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Kiasma make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Admission Tickets are the primary driver. The others are museum Shop, kiasma Café, venue Rental, guided Tours, workshops and annual Pass (Museokortti).
Who are Kiasma's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA). Direct peers are Moderna Museet, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, Amos Rex, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Sinebrychoff Art Museum and Ateneum Art Museum. Saamelaismuseo Siida is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kiasma have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kiasma.
What industry is Kiasma in?
Kiasma's product category is Contemporary Art Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAA, Art Museums, with a secondary code of THAJADAH, Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit). Its NAICS code is 712110.