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Decolonizing the North: Royal Institute of Art & Konsthall C, Stockholm

ERIAC Contributes to the Decolonizing North, Conference
07-08 December 2017
Locations: Royal Institute of Art and Konsthall C, Stockholm

 

Invited speakers:
Lesley-Ann Brown
Gurminder K. Bhambra
Gunilla Larsson
Encarnacion Gutierrez-Rodriguez
Tone Olaf Nielsen

 

Respondents: Ylva Habel, Patricia Lorenzoni, Timea Junghaus, and Stefan Helgesson
Artists: Anawana Haloba, Katarina Pirak Sikku, Minna L. Henriksson, Santiago Mostyn, Camilla Aviaja Olsen & Cecilie Ullerup Schmidt, Saskia Holmkvist and Ellen Nyman.

 

The north is not only a geographical expression; it indicates often a power relation based on a presumption of superiority. Despite violent border regimes and colonial processes on indigenous populations, northern European countries have scarcely dealt with their self-image as colonial powers. Is decolonization today a possible political project of liberation against this historical prejudice? What is at stake and how should we position ourselves within an imperative process of decolonization in relation to land and knowledge? In particular, how to de-align from the reproduction of oppressive structures and look instead to new alliances between native and migrants’ populations, and towards solidarity practices within art, discourse, and immediate locality.

Addressing a range of topics in relation to contemporary colonial forms, inner-nordic colonialization of Sámi and Inuit, reflections on decolonizing terminologies, white supremacy the conference will be focusing on questions of decoloniality and its meaning for the particularities of North Europe today.
Decolonizing North is initiated by Konsthall C in collaboration with CEMFOR, Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies on Racism, Uppsala University and the Decolonizing Architecture advance course at Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm.

 

PROGRAMME
THURSDAY 07 DECEMBER
PRELUDE: Precedents 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Tone Olaf Nielsen: “The Drive to Remember: Kuratorisk Aktion’s Curatorial Engagement with Invisibilized Colonialism and Indigineity in the Nordic Region.”
At Rutiga Golvet, Royal Institute of Art. No registration required.

 

FRIDAY 08 DECEMBER
8:30 am Registration
SESSION 1: “What’s at Stake?” 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Lesley-Ann Brown
Respondents: Stefan Helgesson and Patricia Lorenzoni

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch break

 

SESSION 2: “Land-cracks and Movements” 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Gunilla Larsson
Gurminder K. Bhambra
Respondents: Ylva Habel and Timea Junghaus

4:00 – 4:30 pm Coffee break

SESSION 3: “Destabilizing Knowledge” 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Encarnacion Gutierrez- Rodriguez
Respondent: Lesley-Ann Brown

 

Embedded in the program, a series of spatial configurations created by Decolonizing Architecture students will use the exhibition format as a support structure for lectures, discussions, and gatherings.

 

A 6:30 pm bus leaving from Royal Art Institute to Konsthall C for the opening of the exhibition Nordic Trouble. The bus service is free of charge for everyone who has registered for the conference. Limited seating. Konsthall C can be also reached by subway (ca 30 min).

 

The conference is free of charge. Reservation required for the conference on Friday, 8th December by emailing decolonizingnorth@konsthallc.se by 26th November.

 

The conference will be held at Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm in conjunction with the exhibition Nordic Trouble at Konsthall C, Stockholm curated by Corina Oprea and featuring new commissions and invited artworks by Anawana Haloba, Katarina Pirak Sikku, Minna L. Henriksson, Santiago Mostyn, Camilla Aviaja Olsen & Cecilie Ullerup Schmidt, Saskia Holmkvist and Ellen Nyman.

More info is available on www.konsthallc.se and www.kkh.se.