Kiasma Director on Digital Strategy, Open Data, and the Museum of the Future

In an interview with Artribune, Sanna Hirvonen, Senior Planning Officer at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, discusses the digital transformation of museums. She notes that over the past decade, museums have become more audience-centric, partly due to reduced financial resources. Kiasma, part of the Finnish National Gallery, has advanced in open data and digitalization but still faces challenges in collection accessibility. The museum recently launched an internet art collection, requiring new expertise in curation and copyright. Hirvonen emphasizes the importance of collaborative learning, internal and external networking, and platforms like Twitter. She highlights the need for community managers, web editors, and digital media managers. The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture supports copyright costs for Finnish artists, enabling online access. Kiasma aims to reach diverse audiences through digital means, including those who may never visit physically. Hirvonen advocates for open licenses, sharing metadata under Creative Commons, and meeting audiences on social media rather than building isolated portals. She stresses that digital strategy must align with the museum's mission and that success requires committed leadership and cross-departmental teams.