Founded in the historical ironworks village in Raseborg in 1996, Onoma the Cooperative of Artists, Designers and Artisans in Fiskars is one of the oldest operating cooperative of artists in Finland. Onoma’s 145 members represent dozens of different fields of design, arts and crafts, and each of them either lives or works in Fiskars village.
The cooperative originated at the time when Fiskars Corporation’s industry was moving elsewhere and the village was in dire need of a spark of life. The then vice president of the company, Inko Lindberg, approached several professionals in the creative industries and invited them to live in the ironworks village and harness the vacant industrial premises as their own studios and workshops. And so the story began.
In their work the members of this exceptionally creative community implement the principles of sustainable development, living in harmony with the surrounding nature, significant industrial history and modern technological innovations.
Onoma’s most visible form of activity is organizing high quality summer exhibitions every year. Curated and often international exhibitions are the most prominent annual events in Fiskars village. Members also have their own space with galleries and ONOMA Shop, located in the heart of the village in the New Work Tenements. Fiskars AiR is an international artist residency that has operated under Onoma for 15 years.
