Photographer Wins Landmark $22,500 Finnish Grant to Create Photobook
Through the Cultura Foundation, the Finnish government has awarded photographer Tim Sullivan a €20,000 ($22,497) grant to produce a new photobook documenting post-Soviet Russian language learners in Finland.
Originally reported by Digital Camera World, the Cultura Foundation’s grant awarded to Tim Sullivan, who is Lecturer on the Foundation Diploma in Art & Design at Arts University Plymouth, is believed to be the organization’s largest yet, recognizing the Arts University Plymouth lecturer’s long-term commitment to cross-cultural dialogue as well as his experience with photography and visual research. The Cultura Foundation is a Finnish government-funded organization that researches and promotes the integration and participation of Russian speakers in Finland.
“I have been working in central Finland on a funded residency over the past summers, in a print studio with a black and white darkroom,” Sullivan said.
“My research focus throughout has been on the topic of borders. I began interviewing people with cross border connections with my Finnish friend and colleague Anni Huttu. We have had many conversations, but one question which keeps recurring is: How does the post-cold war era of globalisation square with our current moment? This was the spark that lit the proposal.”
Already immersed in ongoing research into borders and borderlands with his photography, Sullivan’s projected photo book will explore personal stories of post-Soviet Russian language learners in Finland as their lives intersect with shifting political landscapes.
Sullivan brings a keen eye to historical contemporary themes from migration to the cultural representation of place through intensive research and immersion with his subjects, even undergoing international residencies such as time spent living at the Russian border in Estonia through a British Council-funded project.
This latest project through the Cultura Foundation will be a collaboration between experts experienced in documenting history, migration, and language, including photography and interview-based texts created with Finnish journalist Anni Huttu. Set for an early 2027 publication and paired with international exhibitions, academics and art historians alike look forward to the opportunity the funding provides to support cultural visual dialogue.
“Tim’s project exemplifies the power of photography to open dialogues across cultures. The scale of this Finnish award recognises both his artistic rigour and commitment to socially engaged practice. Our Foundation Diploma in Art & Design students enjoy the opportunity to learn from a leader in his field, benefiting from the depth of Tim’s experience working on transnational creative collaborations,” says Professor Stephen Felmingham, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Arts University Plymouth.
With the project underway, and plans for publication in Finland and consideration towards UK publication as well, Sullivan is excited to apply his years of experience and passion to this new photobook, adding his voice to the legacy of Cultura Foundation backed works.
“This project creates new opportunities to connect with people in valuable ways,” Sullivan said.
“It also forms part of my wider academic research into aesthetic theory (focused on sense perception), landscape and the topic of borderlands. Without overstating the already stated, our hyper-mediated age has created significant cultural divisions. I hope that by repurposing visual technologies, such as photography, we can create new spaces to connect cross-culturally.”
Image credits: Tim Sullivan
