The Arctic Routes, Southern Ways project, funded by the Fund for Bilateral Relations of the EEA Grants, concluded in December 2024.
The project's main objectives were as follows:
- to question tacit colonial practices in higher education and in art institutions and to analyse the mechanisms by which they are perpetuated.
- To bring together experiences from Portugal and Norway and describe how the fantasy of cultural homogeneity affects the full recognition of marginalized communities and their knowledge(s)—namely the Sámi in Norway and the "Afropeans" in Portugal.
- To challenge colonialism by exploring ways to create alternative narratives that foster more inclusive and sustainable forms of knowledge production and artistic practice.
After three online meetings held between January and March 2024, the project officially began with a two-day listening session in Lisbon, which included visits to artist studios and a visit to the Library of the Catholic University of Portugal. The activities also included conversations with artists and a roundtable at HANGAR—a project partner—with participants from all partner institutions as well as artists and cultural producers from Portugal and Norway.
In June, Portugal hosted Sámi artist Marita Isobel Solberg for an artist residency at HANGAR, during which she conducted research on traditional Portuguese crafts and vernacular traditions.
The final public event took place in November 2024 at Bergen Kunsthall, and included artist talks, studio visits, an audio walk in Bergen, a study visit, and a series of visits to local art institutions.
Following the production of a podcast featuring various interviews, research trips, an artist residency program, and the preparation of a book proposal presenting the research outcomes, the project promoters decided to continue the initiative. They successfully applied for further support through the Globus OpStart+ scheme of the Nordic Culture Fund, which will allow the initiative to continue until the end of 2026, including three artist residencies and the publication of the book.