Beyond separation: labels, division, and professional othering
When we in Finland talk about local artists, we tend to use labels that refer to their background. These labels depend on whether or not their identity is considered to deviate from the white Finnish norm. Those who are the norm are simply called artists. The ones who don’t are labeled as immigrant artists, international artists, refugee artists, multicultural artists, foreign-born artists, the list goes on. These labels contribute to professional exclusion in contemporary art, and institutions are perpetuating…