Ida Enegren, Residency Coordinator at the Saari Residence, is committed to supporting artists 

Master of Fine Arts Ida Enegren was selected for the position of residency coordinator at the Saari Residence this spring.

The Saari Residence gained a new, valuable staff member in April when Ida Enegren started as the new residency coordinator. This position complements the existing duties of the residence’s employees.

Ida’s duties include supporting the artists and researchers working at the Saari Residence, strengthening ecological thinking as part of the residence’s operating culture and coordinating art projects and events related to the residence’s operations. Ida graduated as Master of Fine Arts from the Praxis exhibition studies programme of Uniarts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts in the spring of 2023 and has also completed a bachelor’s degree at the LAB Institute of Design and Fine Arts in Lahti, Finland. 

Before coming to the Saari Residence, Ida has worked as a coordinator at the non-profit organisation Women in Film & Television Finland and as a programme assistant at Frame Contemporary Art Finland, an advocate for Finnish contemporary art. “I have also worked in the field of art as a freelance curator, a communications specialist and an assistant to artists and art venues,” she explains.

Within the art sector, Ida is particularly interested in the conditions and circumstances of artistic agency and wants to pay attention to relevant background factors and ways of influencing them in her work. “The residence is a fascinating place when viewed from the point of view of making art. I appreciate the Saari Residence’s commitment to ecological thinking, which also includes social and psychological sustainability. A residence that offers both time and space for working and contemplating things without the pressure of constant productivity is a place where artists can find new paths or instill more sustainable ways of working into their routines,” she continues.

During the past spring and summer, Ida has familiarised herself with the activities of individual and group residencies. “It has been exhilarating to observe how versatile the Saari Residence is. The habits and needs of the artists and researchers are highly individual, but learning and gaining insight together through art or research is something that binds everyone together,” she says.

Three questions for Ida

What is it like to work at Saari? 

I’ve got to know the Saari Residence through working with the residents. Their work and ways of thinking allow me to explore different places and see new aspects of Saari. The Foundation is a multifaceted workplace, and I still have a lot more to explore and learn.

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I like to swim and grow edible plants. As someone who has recently moved to Turku, I plan to explore its archipelago and go hiking on weekends.

If you were a pastry, what kind would you be? 

A kartoshka, which is a cake that looks like a potato..