Johanna Vakkari
Humanist of the day

Johanna Vakkari

Johanna Vakkari, an art historian specialised in contemporary art, old Italian art and the historiography of art history, works as the head of the programme for arts and culture at the Finnish Institute in London. Prior to moving to London, she worked at the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of the Arts, and before that she taught and conducted research in art history at the University of Helsinki for two decades. She has also held various positions of responsibility in her field, including the chairmanship of the Society for Art History in Finland and the post of editor in chief of its journal and its online publication TAHITI.

Johanna Vakkari

Born March 19, 1961, Sippola

Master of Arts (art history) 1989, University of Jyväskylä
Licentiate 1998 and PhD (art history) 2007, University of Helsinki
Docent in Italian Renaissance art and the history of art history 2008, University of Turku
Docent in art history 2009, University of Helsinki

Head of Programme, Arts & Culture 2014–16, the Finnish Institute in London
Director (acting) October 1, 2014–January 14, 2015, the Finnish Institute in London
Senior Coordinator 2011–, Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts
Post-doc researcher 2008–11, A Portrait of Art History, Critical Approaches to Finnish Art History and Historians – a University of Helsinki project funded by the Academy of Finland
Member of the research network: 2007–11, Vision of the Past: Images as Historical Sources and the History of Art History – a NordForsk funded Nordic researcher network project.
University lecturer (acting) in art history 2008–10, University of Helsinki
Art history amanuensis (acting) and coordinator of the national doctoral school, 2007–2008, University of Helsinki
University lecturer (acting) in art history 2005
Instructor in art history, 2004–2005, University of Helsinki
Assistant in art history 1998–2004, University of Helsinki
Art history amanuensis (acting), 1997, University of Helsinki
Research assistant in art history 1995–97, University of Helsinki
Part-time teacher of art history 1995–98, University of Helsinki
Part-time teacher of art history 1994–98, Open University, University of Helsinki

Board member of the Academy of Fine Arts 2013, University of the Arts
Board member of the Nordic Committee for Art History 2009–
Chairman of the Society for Art History in Finland and editor in chief of the journal Taidehistoriallisia tutkimuksia (‘Studies in Art History’) and the online publication TAHITI 2011–13
Working member of the Finnish Antiquarian Society 2009–
Board member of the Institute of Art Research 2001–03, University of Helsinki

Research areas: contemporary art, contemporary jewellery, the history of art history, methods and theories, art connoisseurship, old Italian art

Awards:
The Kaarlo Koskimies and Irma Koskimies Scholarship Fund prize for best doctoral dissertation 2008, University of Helsinki
Teaching Technology Competition official recognition of excellence 2002, University of Helsinki

Photo: Anna Orhanen
Written by Johanna Vakkari (Riitta-Ilona Hurmerinta, ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington

The network of Finnish Institutes and the Finnish Institute in London

My relationship with Finnish cultural and academic institutes began in Rome in the 1980s. In 1984 I took part in an excursion of art history at the Villa Lante on Early Christian and Mediaeval art and architecture, which was arranged by the University of Jyväskylä. Then my subject was Early Christian funerary basilicas, such as Old St Peter's. Later I worked at the Finnish Institute in Rome for several stints as a scholarship researcher and teacher of art historical excursions.

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On diversity and tolerance

I grew up in a village where part of the population had lived there for centuries and part were World War II evacuees from Karelia or had moved there later. The family of one of my grandmothers was from Karelia. Even as a child I came across questions of identity, although I only understood it better later. My classmates came from farming, working-class, and professional families alike, as well as from a child caring institution and from Romani families. There was also a youth home in the village, where you could see the boys who lived and worked there. As far as I could tell, social background had no effect on relationships between children.

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My best moments at the University of Helsinki

I worked in the Main Building of the University of Helsinki for two decades, and there were times when I practically lived there. I learned to walk down corridors at night without needing to turn on lights. I remember Julys when the University was closed and you rarely met another soul in the old wing of the Main Building.

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Dreams and spiders

In the long run I would like to live by the sea and do research somewhere that doesn't have interminable cold and darkness. Although I have already lived by the sea in Helsinki and Venice, while also involved in research, I'm still searching for the ideal environment. I also dream of long walks, reading, music, films, good food and wine, friends, the universe, and spiders.

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