Interwoven: A Collective Art-Based Aproach

This paper aims to show how artistic practices can nurture collective efficacy for understanding the North through art and craft based approaches resulting in the exhibition Interwoven. The aim of the exhibition was to show how contemporary art and design converges with traditional crafts. The exhibiting artists and designers explored the boundaries and bridges between art and traditional crafts. Arts, crafts and design are strongly intertwined in our daily lives. Thus, we are not always aware of their presence and influence on us. The artworks that were selected for the exhibition all embraced traditional knowledge and practices, techniques and traditions were transformed through the use of a variety of materials; trying them in a new context, preserving yet altering earlier knowledge. Sustainability, crafts and culture form the starting point of all the works in the exhibition. The focus of the works is diverse; Sami duodji, nature, colors, culture, daily life, memories, with some requiring direct participation of the audience. When designing the exhibition the curatorial considerations included finding the balance between aesthetic and function where old traditions had acquired new content. The exhibition included works by artists associated with four universities in the Arctic region; the University of Lapland, the Sámi allaskuvla/Sami University of Applied Sciences, Bergen University and Iceland Academy of the Arts. Symposiums and workshops were organized in conjunction with the exhibition. The exhibition venue nurtured supportive learning conditions which allowed the artist to refer to their own works and the participants to be included in the exhibition. The project was funded by the Nordic Culture Fund, and part of ASAD network.