Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma

Honestly, I didn’t find anything particularly interesting for myself in the collection of contemporary Finnish art. In my opinion, the €22 admission fee per adult is overpriced for what is on display. I understand that my opinion is just one among many and not definitive, but despite my background in the arts and my ability to make informed judgments, I didn’t find the collection engaging.

Okay, first thing's first. It's modern art. If you're not into that kinda thing then I don't recommend you go. It's not quite the banana taped to the wall, but some exhibits are close. Some will get you thinking... Some will make you laugh... And some, and I honestly mean this in one case, will have you thinking the artist is close to suicide and/or murder - or possibly even both. So, go if you can open your mind to try to appreciate the messages these artists are trying to convey.

I love contemporary art and museums in general and this place doesn’t disappoint. Their gift shop is one of the best I’ve seen so far, all things are truly artsy and cool, no kitsch.

Much more than I expected. Very good exhibitions with modern art & sustainability theme created with different materials achieving different effects, and made by artistes from various countries. I am not normally a modern art fan but this was great. Worth seeing and experiencing!

Interesting and accesible. Right opposite Kamppi metro. A real bonus was superb soup and salad in restaurant. About 20 euros for a ticket like much in Helsinki Brits will find it expensive.

Amazing modern art. I like when art is more tangeble, big, and bold! Very nice staff. Great architecture. With spaces like that the possibilities are limitless.

During a brief stopover in Helsinki as part of a cruise, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. The museum’s architecture, designed by Steven Holl, is a masterpiece in itself. Its curvilinear forms and innovative use of natural light create an inviting and dynamic space that seamlessly integrates with the city’s landscape .  Inside, the museum offers a diverse range of contemporary art exhibitions spread across five floors. The top floor, with its high ceilings, provided a particularly immersive experience. While some installations resonated deeply, others were more challenging to interpret, which is often the nature of contemporary art. It’s worth noting that exhibitions rotate regularly, so each visit can offer a new perspective . The museum’s location is central and easily accessible, just a short walk from the main train station. Facilities are well-maintained, and the staff is welcoming. There’s also a café and a gift shop on the premises, providing a pleasant spot to relax and reflect on the art . Admission is €22, which might seem steep for a short visit, but considering the quality of the exhibitions and the architectural experience, it felt justified. For those planning ahead, the museum offers free admission on the first Friday of each month .  Overall, Kiasma offers a compelling glimpse into contemporary art and is a worthwhile stop for anyone visiting Helsinki, even if only for a day.

Great contemporary museum. Many unique exhibits. Great films and some exhibits you can touch, feel, and walk thru. 4 floors with great art and descriptions in several languages.

Very solid and interesting modern art museum. I liked how there was an overarching theme to the museum. Im not sure if this is something they update annually. I also liked the flow of the museum, easy to navigate and each exhibition rolled into the next. As with any modern art museum, some things are weird and unsettling and some things are simply stunning. I really liked the Shoplifter exhibit and the interactive elements in the Your on the Stage( I think that's what it's called) exhibit. Great way to spend a couple of hours while in Helsinki.

Comtemporary art Museum in the Heart of Helsinki ! Saw the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition and it was just outstanding. They have a cafe and a shop which I didn't have the chance to visit. There is convenient access for handicapped people. Premises have been taken really good care of. Worth the money!

This is a great museum where you can easily spend two hours. It is easy to find as it is very centrally located in Helsinki. It is just opposite the Parliament House and very close to all the shopping centers (sokos, stockmann, kamppi, forum). The building itself is very interesting. It makes the visitor follow a route without trying to figure out where to go next. The whole building makes a path of it's own and it makes it easy to see everything without checking any maps. This was my second time there and both times I really liked the exhibition. There was no part that was permanent so it was nice to go through the whole museum again. And both times it was very different and interesting! So I say it is worth going, if you don't want to see something very typical Finnish, but something modern and different.

I'm not the biggest art expert, or even art admirer, but this place is just awesome. Unfortunately I came 2 days too late for one exhibition and 3 days too early for another so there were only 2 exhibits on offer, but wow what a place. The way the exhibition spaces merge into one another is near effortless. And yes, there were a few interactive installations, all of which were really engaging. The building itself is super cool, even the sinks in the toilets are unconventional. All the curves and ramps are almost hypnotic. I wasn't actively trying to keep track of where I was, but by the time I reached the end of the exhibition I actually had to think about how to get out, not that I really wanted to. There is free wifi, which is rad. And there's also little bits for kids to do.. but it's still an art gallery. I'd imagine the attention of children won't be held as long as yours might be.

This place was really weird, but not necessarily in a bad way. Some exhibits were very interesting and informative. There was an exhibit on refugees and their hardships and their stories, which I liked. But, as you go up stairs, the art becomes more and more strange. If you like art or something that is just out of the ordinary, definitely visit this place!

Wow, what a fun experience! I still think about some of the exhibits featured at this museum. The museum has unique artists and exhibits. When we went, they had art work by Ernesto Neto, Choi Jeong Hwa, and more. We went early on a Sunday morning, so there were few people. However, by about 11:30 am, the museum was becoming more crowded. There were museum employees everywhere, and one of them seemingly followed my mom and me, though we did nothing wrong and are not suspicious people at all! Many of the exhibits involve participation. One of the exhibits allowed us to rest in hammocks, and some allowed walking through and within the exhibit. The museum gift store had unique items to purchase. The museum offered free wi fi, but it did not work all of the time.

I find modern art a bit hit and miss. The work on show was a miss although the building was an interesting space. I came over the Easter weekend and there were an array of visits to see. Some of the exhibits were weird for the sake of it although I did like a boat made with beer cans by an Estonian artist to show the journeys made by Estonians to find work and the Finns in the opposite direction in search of cheaper beer.

1. Robert Mapplethorpe = sex and drugs and rock'n'roll from a different perspective, 2. Face to Face = too dispersed for me, 3. Elements = interesting. All in all: go and judge yourself! Art for art's sake always pays off!

Even if you are a lover of modern art, the Kiasma may not be for you. When I visited in mid-September 2012, two floors were closed due to construction of a new exhibit, to be fair. What was on exhibit was mediocre as a whole, with only a couple of works that stood out in my mind. The 3D macramé police car in the lobby was very cool, as was a series if three photographs of elderly Norwegian farmers wearing crowns of twigs. Other than that, I would not come back.

This is definitely Modern Art- don't come here expecting any portraits in frames or old masters. Even the building itself is bizarrely-shaped, both outside and in- very spacious, very very white, and with extremely odd acoustics that mean you can hear people talking several rooms away. It is split into lots of differently-sized exhibition spaces, many of which are rearranged on a regular basis, so you could check in advance to see what you're going to see. There's a lot of emphasis on video & sound in the art, and several rooms full of video art, as well as multimedia experiences that are a mixture of text, sound and projections. Each exhibition is introduced in reasonable detail, in Finnish and English, and a lot of it is rather fun. There's also a very good, if expensive, shop, which will sell you a wide range of art books of course but which is also worth visiting for its novelties- postcards, badges, and little gifts, all art-related but with a definite sense of humour. If you're in Helsinki it's definitely worth a look.

This is one of the most surprising, stunning and unusual Modern Art Venues in the Western World. From the architecture to the selection of displayed art, nothing in the Kiasma is "Mainstream". Yet, it is also not "forcedly hip" either. The art is fluid, quotable ("Are you REALLY SERIOUS about African dance? I think you are not SERIOUS ENOUGH!") and even photographs well. The light and routing of visitor streams make sure that noone disturbs the art, yet interacts with it. I'm in love with the Kiasma. it is quintessentially Finnish - both serious & sober, yet with a crazy and ironic streak that is reminiscent of a particularly unusual LSD trip.

I was on a tight budget while in Helsinki and had to make the hard decision about which museums to see and which to pass on. I choose Kiasma because it was a contemporary museum. I have nothing against older pieces of work but I like seeing what modern art has been created. Kiasma's building is a piece of art itself. Silver, full of windows, the building swooped and curved. As you walked through the building, up to different levels, you slightly wound around stark white walls. Sliding doors opened for you for each exhibit. Helsinki is such a wired city and the museum certainly didn't disappoint with free WIFI. Each exhibit flowed to the next. Lots of digital art installations and even installations requesting you to participate. I placed my hand on piece of metal along with thousands of others which was evident by the numerous hand shapes imprinted on the surface. I walked through hundreds of ribbons hanging from the ceiling. Although I didn't do any work an artist encouraged people to rearrange a set of blocks. Finnish electronic composer Erkki Kurenniemi had an exhibit of his own. He not only created music but he painted, was a photographer, and amongst other things, built a talking head that moved around on wheels. It talked back to you when you spoke to it and apparently dismayed a party goer so much that he kicked it. It was restored for Kiasma. My favorite piece was from an artist that used contrasting materials to show beauty in opposites. Tires hung from the ceiling by thick silver chains and blond hair hung from the tires. I was pleased with Kiasma and the art it housed.

This is a great modern art museum, and is not far from many other museums. It is a little pornographic I think, but that's what sells. I like the comic book art that goes on forever. It took me all day to read all of it. And you really do have to go see the animal massacre on the top floor. Superb!

I really liked this museum. The entrance fee was covered with the Helsinki card. Right as I walked in, there was a parked police car; the exterior had been completely knitted, down to the tires! There was also a lot of fun art . Pictures are permitted