victory over the victory

15 february – 11 may 2025

Titled Victory over the Victory this exhibition strives to touch upon some of the current and historical events, related to questions of war, loss, sorrow and memory. The participants’ collective focus revolves around the theme of communication in times of conflict, as well as the notion of a victory. Driven by artists’ direct and indirect experiences and active socio-political stance, several questions are put to the fore: is it possible to win a war, what defines a victory and who becomes a winner?

For us who live in Sweden and follow various wars through the media narration or friends’ testimonies and personal stories, it is important to listen and take a chance to reflect together on our own experiences and values. Therefore we have invited international and Swedish artists to show their works. We see this exhibition as a possibility to align with participants’ diverse artistic practices and experiences by voicing their opinions.

The exhibition is curated by Sona Stepanyan and Natasha Dahnberg.

More information about the exhibition will be available later in the form of the exhibition booklet, filmed interview and images.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Zhanna Kadyrova (Ukraine), Anri Sala (Albania-France), Snežana Vučetić Bohm (Serbia-Sweden), Arthur Bondar (Ukraine), Aziz Hazara (Afghanistan-Germany), Mathilda Frykberg (Sweden), Joakim Forsgren (Sweden), Pavel Rotts (Finland), Maïda Chavak, Anush Ghukasyan, Vahram Galstyan, Nairi Khatchadourian (AHA Collective, Armenia), Mkrtich Tonoyan (Armenia), Anastasiya Yarovenko (Ukraine) Klara Källström & Thobias Fäldt and Johannes Wahlström (Sweden), Carl Johan De Geer (Sweden), Ingela Johansson (Sweden), Juan-Pedro Fabra Guemberena (Uruguay-Sweden).

Curators

Sona Stepanyan (b. 1987, Armenia) is a curator based in Stockholm, currently working with The Swedish Curators’ Association and as a freelancer. Her international curatorial practice emphasizes diverse artistic practices and in-depth, context-driven thinking through research, exhibitions, and public programming.

Stepanyan’s institutional work includes Mint Konsthall (2022-2023), Armenia Art Foundation (2016-2019), and Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (2014-2016). Independently, she has been a juror, guest curator, and consultant for international stipends, awards, and programs including the Saastamoinen Foundation (2024), Art Initiative of Stockholm School of Economics (2024), ArtVerona (2023), KOHTA (2022), Stroom Den Haag (2020), Armenia Arts Council (2024), Han Nefkens Foundation (2020), and viennacontemporary (2018). Notable exhibitions she has curated include Victory over the Victory (Köttinspectionen, 2024); The Restless Echo of Tomorrow (Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona, 2020); The Sun of the Sleepless (Armenian Center for Experimental Contemporary Art, 2018); and Power Nap (Yerevan Museum of Modern Art, 2018). Her latest academic research (Stockholm University, 2023) focuses on the phenomenology of the curatorial profession and recent twenty years of curatorial self-organizations in Sweden.

Natasha Dahnberg (b. 1969, Moscow) is an artist and curator, born and educated in Moscow. She has lived and worked in Sweden since 2000. Dahnberg works as a curator at Uppsala Art Museum and is part of the artist group HAKA, which runs and curates the artist-run cultural platform Köttinspektionen in Uppsala. Her recent projects include collaborations with artists John Huntington and Åsa Dybwad Norman, the performance festival Revolver and the art school Småkonstnärer for Ukrainian families with children.