The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute is bringing Finnish curators to the international Barents Spektakel art festival in Kirkenes, Norway.
The visits are being organised as part of the institute’s NORD – Cultural Bridges programme. The objective of the programme is to strengthen networks and activities between cultural practitioners in northern Norway, northern Finland, and Sápmi.
The visitors will be offered the opportunity to attend the festival’s industry programme, watch live performances and attend art exhibitions, and to connect with local artists, art professionals, and organisations.
“Visits by art professionals represent an important platform for networking. In our experience, they also often lead to new collaborations,” says Pauliina Gauffin, director of The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute.
The guests have been invited in collaboration with the curator collective Pikene på Broen, based on their interest and desire to get to know the art scene in Northern Norway.
Visitors to Barents Spektakel 2024
Amanda Hakoköngäs is a curator and writer based in Northern Finland, Lapland. She currently works as a curator at the Aine Art Museum on the Finnish-Swedish border. In her curatorial and writing practice she is particularly interested in topics related to northern and Arctic art as well as topics of friendship and accessibility.
Darja Zaitsev is the executive director and curator of Photo North – Northern Photography Centre, and lives and works in Oulu, Finland. Zaitsev is a curator (MA, Aalto University, 2018) and a fashion designer (MA, University of Lapland, 2012). In her work, Zaitsev is interested in the diversity and materiality of photography, as well as in the ecological, social and societal issues and impact of art.
About Barents Spektakel
Barents Spektakel is a cross-artistic, thematic and international festival that contributes to reflections related to the northern regions. Between the 15 and 18 February, Pikene på Broen will stage the 20th edition of Barents Spektakel in Kirkenes, Norway, consisting of contemporary art exhibitions, theatre, music, debates, film, performances and a festival bar concept.
About Pikene på broen
Pikene på Broen is a collective of curators and producers based in the north-eastern Norwegian town of Kirkenes. Located 15 kilometers from the Russian border and 50 kilometers from the Finnish border, the town of Kirkenes is ideally placed for cross-border cooperation and cultural exchange in the Arctic. Pikene på Broen was established in 1996 and has spent the past 20 years realising large- and small-scale cultural projects – they call these ‘border-crossing exercises’ which provide new perspectives on the north while initiating discussions on themes relevant to the Barents Region.
Learn more about FINNO’s NORD – Cultural Bridges programme on our website.
Find out more about and get this year’s programme for the Barents Spektakel on the festival’s website.