Through a Distorting Mirror: On Art, Mining, and Just Transition in Sweden and Poland

19:00 – 20:00 Through a Distorting Mirror: On Art, Mining, and Just Transition in Sweden and Poland

Two Presentations by Artist Lena Ylipää and Aleksandra Kędziorek, Curatorlab. In English.
What impact does the mining industry have on local and indigenous communities, and how is the complexity of these relationships documented in contemporary art? This meeting is an offering for artists, critical thinkers, and residents of Kiruna to reflect on the social complexity of environmental change. Two seemingly distant contexts will be juxtaposed: the LKAB iron ore mine in Kiruna and the Turów lignite mine in Bogatynia, in southwestern Poland. Comparing the two may seem like looking through a distorting mirror, since they are on two opposite sides of the much-needed green transition. However, both show that no transition is painless and that they can have many shades when it comes to the lives and well-being of local and Indigenous people.

Aleksandra Kędziorek will discuss the controversy surrounding the Turów lignite mine through the lens of contemporary art, which has commented on mining culture in Poland and its environmental consequences since the 1970s. Lena Ylipää will relate these comments to the context of Kiruna and other mining towns in the Swedish part of Sápmi. The presentation will offer different perspectives on art and life in critical zones, the event aims to inspire discussion on whether it is possible to make the green transition equal for all.

A collaboration with Giron Sami Theatre.