Artistic Voices from Norrbotten

A Day with CuratorLAB in Havremagasinet

11 february, kl 15 – 19

We invite you to an afternoon of happenings curated by CuratorLAB* participants Silvia Colombo, Foteini Salvaridi and Karin Erixon, in collaboration with Havremagasinet. From a textile workshop via a live session event on what it is to be an artist in Norrbotten to a shared dinner – free and open to all! [workshop and dinner on reservation]  

*CuratorLAB is a one-year international curatorial course for professionals. Organised by and based at Konstfack University for Arts, Crafts and Design Stockholm. CuratorLAB’s Program director: Joanna Warsza | Guest lecturer: Maria Lind | Assistant Curator: Anastasia Shestak

3:00 -4:00 pm – Threads of Home
Weaving Traditions and Modernity in Norrbotten’s Textile Patterns
A conversation between Ida Isak Westerberg, artist and Silvia Colombo, curator

We will explore the iconic textile patterns from Norrbotten with a focus on certain recurring motifs such as the Lovvika gloves for example. By focusing on the relationship between the private and the public dimension that a textile pattern implies—its domesticity and its being publicly used, shown and shared—, this happening will guide the public through the concept of territorial recognisability embedded in these woven threads. And it will try to show how the geography of a place (and Norrbotten in this specific case) can be seen and reinterpreted through lines, colours, fibres and images instead of maps.

The conversation will be followed by a workshop guided by the textile artist Ida Isak Westerberg who, together with the participants, will create patterns together inspired by their individual and visual concepts of ‘home’.

Information
20 mins presentation followed by 40 mins workshop
Language: English
Max 15 participants (write to silvia.colombo@norrbotten.se to book a spot

4:00 -5:00  pm – 365 days, 6 hours & 9 minutes in Norrbotten
A live session by Mats Wikström in dialogue with Foteini Salvaridi 

Mats Wikström (b. 1954 in Stockholm) is an artist and musician based in Träskbrännan forest outside Råneå. Joined by curator Foteini Salvaridi, he revisits his statement video work Jag är en konstnär i Norrbotten (2009) and other audio pieces to reveal additional aspects of living and working as an artist up North. 

The artist will orbit around the Sun performing songs about the human experience and everyday life in Norrbotten linked to seasonal changes, weather and ecology of the region. The live session will ultimately bridge dipoles of center and periphery, nature and civilization, person and society, melancholy and humor, agony and hope, profession and hobby, art and life. 

The event will take place during the finissage of his duo show, KORSFÄST PÅ KUDDE, with Rebecka Bebben Andersson.

Information
Language: Swedish & English
Duration: 30-40 mins max.

5:00 -7:00 pm – Local perspectives  

To conclude both the exhibition “Korsfäst på en Kudde” (Crucified on a Pillow) and Curator Lab public program at Havremagasinet, Karin Erixon, along with Hej Främling, invites everyone to a communal dinner. Throughout the evening, we will share the cuisine of local food enthusiasts through the menu. 

The concept of a communal table aims to promote a broader sense of unity among individuals from various fields in Luleå /Boden. Gathering around a meal, as a social tool, could be a response to the polarized societal development that we face—an urgent issue of our time.  The question of the evening will be: What is the role of art and culture in the new major industrial initiatives in Norrbotten? The communal table seeks to bring together people from varying perspectives, cultures, ideologies, socioeconomic backgrounds, and political identities. By sharing a meal and socializing, a seed can be planted to initiate future dialogues. 

Information
The dinner is open to all who are interested but requires prior registration: OSA för evenemang – Google Formulär

Participating

Karin Erixon (b. 1985 Luleå) is artist and curator with an MA in Visual Arts from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Khio. Over the years, Erixon has conducted several independent workshops and reading groups that have tackled issues related to identity and gender equality. At the University of Oslo, I have studied gender theory and am especially interested in sociopolitical issues. Throughout the years, she has organized exhibitions, meeting places, and social spaces in various ways. In 2010, she initiated her first gallery, Semikolon, in Oslo together with artists Marie Robb and Siri Leira. In the years following, I established several studio collectives, arranged reading circles, dinners, workshops, and exhibitions. In 2016, together with Cassius Fadlabi, Erixon founded the Khartoum Contemporary Art Center, an artist-run cultural center in Oslo with a clear interdisciplinary program focused on contemporary art in relation to  Africa and the Middle East (2016-2022).  Erixon has been active in Oslo since 2008 and moved back to her hometown, Luleå, in 2022. In Norrbotten, she has worked as the project manager in the association KUBN, conducting cultural education projects for children and youth, as well as being a project leader in the research project KuR, which works to implement culture in healthcare. From 2024, Karin Erixon is The Artistic Director at Luleå Konsthall. 

Silvia Colombo (b. 1981, Legnano, Italy) is an art historian and museum expert with a master’s degree (2006) and a postgraduate specialisation (2009) in contemporary art. She holds a Ph.D. in Conservation of Architectural Heritage from Politecnico di Milano (2014), where she has also served as a guest lecturer. Her research interests encompass interdisciplinary projects, specifically focusing on the intersections of the arts, museum studies, and memory studies within a historical-political perspective. Since 2017, she has been based in Northern Sweden and is currently employed at Region Norrbotten. In her role as an art developer, she is responsible for curating and placing the regional art collection within Norrbotten’s healthcare facilities. Additionally, as a freelance editor and art writer, Silvia regularly contributes to various art journals, websites, and art catalogues, both online and in print. She is a member of ICOM Sweden and AICA.

Foteini Salvaridi (b.1996 in Agios Nikolaos, Crete) is a cultural worker based in Athens, Greece. She holds a BA in Theory and History of Art (Athens School of Fine Arts) and soon an MA in Cultural Administration (Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences).  She worked for three years as the Project Manager and Assistant Curator of TAVROS arts organization producing projects that foster inter-regional collaborations and bring together divergent micro-communities whilst tackling vital social and political issues. She was the Assistant Curator of Being as Communion, central exhibition of the 8th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art exploring various forms of co-existence. She worked as Operations Project Manager for ATOPOS CVC cultural organization in projects around gender issues. She has conceived and co curated, Revolution is not a one time event, a three-month public program honoring the ongoing revolutions of intergenerational feminist practices in Greece and beyond, awarded with an Impact Grant by Outset Partners in 2023. She has also collaborated with several artist initiatives such as Archipelago Network, kyklada.press, Athens Zine Bibliotheque and more.  For 2023-2024, she has been selected to participate in CuratorLab at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Sweden and in the Care Ecologies Art Research and Residency Program of  G&A Mamidakis Foundation in Crete.

Ida Isak Westerberg (1986) är en konstnär, pedagog och hantverkare som undersöker olika platser, med fokus på tillhörighet i allmänhet och på myren i synnerhet, med hjälp av vävning och andra textila tekniker. Under 2022 gjorde Westerberg bland annat scenografi till Dansinitiativets föreställning Väven och deltog i Luleåbiennalen med verk samt med den digitala Vävjuntan. 2023 ställde den ut i Östersund, Luleå, Granö, Falun, Stockholm och deltog i olika projekt och seminarier i Rovaniemi, Tromsö och Oslo. Westerberg är utbildad på Handarbetets Vänner i handvävning och konstsömnad och är även utbildad lärare i estetiska läroprocesser.
https://idaisak.se/ 

Mats Wikström (b. 1954, Stockholm) has been residing outside Råneå for six years, where he is primarily active. Wikström engages in performance, painting, sculpture, and, notably, woodwork. He typically employs wood types such as willow, alder, spruce, and pine in his artworks, ranging from small carvings to more monumental pieces like ‘Växandets vånda’ (The Torment of Growth), acquired by the Moderna Museet in 2021. Additionally, he plays a key role as an organizer for the Råneåbiennalen and Råneå Konsthall. Music is also a significant aspect of Wikström’s pursuits, with involvement in the band Eterkropp and, since last spring, creating music under his own name.
https://mats-wikstrom.com/