MAJOR EXHIBITION FEATURING 20 AFRO-NORDIC ARTISTS AT KULTURHUSET
On 26 October, the Southnord x Kulturhuset art festival will kick off. At its core is the “The Threshold is a Prism” group exhibition which will feature paintings, sculptures, photography, videos and audio creations from around 20 artists. Throughout Kulturhuset, film showings, workshops, performances, storytelling and conversations will be arranged. The common denominator for all the exhibitors is their African connection and that they all pursue their art in the Nordics. Southnord x Kulturhuset marks the start of an art triennial that will take place in the Nordic capital cities.
Jeannette Ehlers (DK/TT), Rafiki (CD/NO), Diana Agunbiade-Kolawole (NG/UK/SE), Sasha Huber (HT/CH/FI) and Dyami Rafn Andrews (US/IS) are some of the artists. Several of the exhibition's works have never been shown in Sweden before.
“It will feel like a festival with something for everyone, and you won’t want to leave. In an increasingly polarised world, there is a need for nuanced storytelling from different perspectives. I strive to make space for the many artistic expressions that come from the Afro-Nordic experience,” says Visiting Curator Marcia Harvey Isaksson.
The exhibition will run until January and during a select number of weekends, there will be a programme loaded with activities. For instance, there will be Sofa Chats with artists, mini-seminars in collaboration with Etnografiska museet about black history in the Nordics, an archival collection with Black Archives Sweden and film showings with Cinemafrica.
“We are pleased that we are opening up for more people to enjoy this art. Kulturhuset is a place for the strong experiencing of art, encountering more forms of art and expressions and making space for established and upcoming culture,” says Linda Beijer, director of culture at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern.
SOUTHNORD X KULTURHUSET
26 October 2023 – 14 January 2024
Gallery 3: The Threshold is a Prism
Visiting Curator
Marcia Harvey Isaksson
Participating artists
Ahmed Umar (Sudan/Norway)
Ami Weickaane (Senegal/France/Sweden)
Cecilia Germain (Sweden/Canada)
Diana Agunbiade-Kolawole (Nigeria/UK/Sweden)
Dina El Kaisy Friemuth (Egypt/Germany/Denmark)
Dyami Rafn Andrews (Iceland/USA)
Ernest Mancoba interpreted by Joseph Ndlovu (South Africa / Denmark / France)
Fatima Moallim (Somalia/Sweden)
Germain Ngoma (Zimbabwe/Zambia/Norway)
Guro Jabulisile Sibeko (Azania/Norway)
Ina Nian (Gambia/Sweden)
Ismaila Fatty (Gambia/Sweden)
Jeanette Ehlers (Denmark/Trinidad)
Khalid Shatta (Sudan/Norway)
Michelle Eistrup (Jamaica/USA/Denmark)
Musti (Somalia/Norway)
Rafiki (Democratic Republic of the Congo/Norway)
Santiago Mostyn (USA/Trinidad/Sweden)
Sasha Huber (Haiti/Switzerland/Finland)
Uwa Iduozee (Nigeria/Finland)
Focus weekends with activities
At the core of Southnord x Kulturhuset is the The Threshold is a Prism exhibition in Gallery 3. On three focus weekends during the exhibition period, there will be side programmes for all ages throughout the Kulturhuset building.
26–29 October: Sharing
The theme for the weekend is sharing – knowledge and experience, space and time, and stories.
23–26 November: Digging
The theme for the weekend is archiving of personal and public artefacts, historical accounts and reaccounts, knowledge shortcomings and attempts to reconstitute and recreate cancelled histories.
11–14 January: Caring
The theme for the weekend is caring – for oneself, one other and nature.
About Southnord
Southnord aims to encourage exchange and discussions between Afro-Nordic artists. This project is a collaboration of a team of experienced curators and artists from the Nordic countries. This platform cooperates with other institutions and initiatives in realising larger, longer-term projects. The main event of the autumn is Southnord x Kulturhuset, which marks the start of an art triennial that will take place in the Nordic capital cities, one at a time. It will start in Stockholm in 2023 and move on to Helsinki in 2026, Copenhagen in 2029 and Oslo in 2032.
About Kulturhuset
Kulturhuset Stadsteatern is a part of the City of Stockholm and one of Northern Europe’s largest cultural institutions. A wide array ofcultural events is held year round. Kulturhuset Stadsteatern has stages at Sergels Torg, in Skärholmen, Vällingby and Husby, as well as summertime in Stockholm parks through Parkteatern. Every Stockholmer is a citizen of Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, which was founded on freedom of expression and art.
NB.: This is a joint press release by Southnord and Kulturhuset
For questions and high-resolution images, please contact:
Emma Gouveia Berggren
emma.gouveia.berggren@kulturhusetstadsteatern.se
+46 739 730 397
Georgètte Dwomoh-Appiah
Project Coordinator
georgette@southnord.com
+46 72 833 94 33
Or: hello@southnord.com