Southnord x Kulturhuset announces their inaugural Southnord Artfest, a triennial in the making. The first edition, hosted by Kulturhuset in Stockholm brings together some of the Nordics’ foremost contemporary artists, some hidden gems and legendary forerunners. Their common denominator is their African heritage and their Nordic context, which they use to examine what it means to be a complex and multifaceted human being. The artfest takes place between 26 October 2023 and 14 January 2024.

THE THRESHOLD IS A PRISM

The core of the art festival is the exhibition The Threshold is a Prism in Gallery 3. The exhibition – which is curated by Marcia Harvey Isaksson – mixes painting, sculpture, photography, video works and sound works by 20 artists from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The exhibition opens on October 26, 2023.

The artists find themselves on the threshold between two cultures and, with that starting point, can transform the simple into a crackling spectrum of nuanced stories. “The works carry stories that are often not told. The silenced and the voiceless get a voice while the common historiography is completed”, says Marcia Harvey Isaksson.

Participating artists: 
Ahmed Umar (SD/NO)



, 
Ami Weickaane (SN/FR/SE), 
Cecilia Germain (CA/SE), 
Diana Agunbiade-Kolawole (NG/UK/SE), 
Dina El Kaisy Friemuth (EG/DE/DK), 
Dyami Andrews (US/IS), Ernest Mancoba (ZA/FR/DK) x Joseph Ndlovu (ZA), Fatima Moallim (SO/SE), 
Germain Ngoma (ZW/ZM/NO), 
Guro Sibeko (ZA/NO), 
Ina Nian (GA/SE), 
Ismaila Fatty (GA/SE), Jeannette Ehlers (TT/DK), 
Khalid Shatta (SU/NO), 
Michelle Eistrup (JM/US/DK), 
Musti (SO/NO), 
Rafiki (CD/NO), 
Santiago Mostyn (US/TT/SE), 
Sasha Huber (HT/CH/FI), 
Uwa Iduozee (NG/FI/US)

THREE THEMATIC WEEKENDS

In addition to the exhibition, Southnord Artfest presents a rich program designed for all ages, spread over three thematic weekends dubbed Sharing, Digging and Caring.

October 26-29: Sharing – sharing knowledge, experiences, stories, and more. It kicks off with a powerful performance by Diana Agunbiade-Kolawole. Enjoy visual poetry evenings, storytimes for children, workshops for young artists, film screenings, and engaging talks. Find our more…

November 23-26: Digging – exploring archives – from personal stories to historical narratives. Join us for film screenings and discussions, deep listening sessions, and interactive projects that aim to rediscover erased histories.

January 11-14: Caring – for oneself, for each other, for nature. Engage with short film screenings, performance art, workshops, artist talks, and more as we explore alternative ways of caring for our spiritual and mental health.

Join in for the grand opening on Thursday 26 October 2023, at Kulturhuset Sergels torg, from 17:00-19:30.

southnord.com