Vuoi ihán – Sami Contemporary Art

The exhibition is produced by Verdde and curated by Maria Ragnestam and Ellen B. Dalbakk.

On industrial mats and to the tunes of Johnny Cash, works by six Sami contemporary artists are displayed. Pop-cultural references, oversized traditional architecture, and paintings of snow-covered mountain landscapes in unexpectedly large floral patterns are shown alongside titles that ironically depict the seriousness and self-evident aspects of everyday life.

In the encounter with Ekshäradsgården, a cultural-historical environment preserved for future generations, the invisible landscapes of Sami culture and its inventive adaptability become apparent. The contemporary artworks showcase the vitality and resilience that follow in the footsteps of the predecessors’ platform soles on summer night’s asphalt and nuvttahat on freshly fallen snow.

The expression “Vuoi ihán” (Northern Sami) is an interpretable reaction to something remarkable.

Artists

Siri Baggerman, Niilas Helander, Geir Tore Holm, Tilde-Ristin Kuoljok, Radio-JusSunná/Sunna Nousuniemi and Lisa Kejonen Pauker.