Sitkeä (Persistence) An Artist Talk about Documentation, Identity, History and Memory

Saturday, February 17, Kiruna Public Library

13:30–14:30 Sitkeä (Persistence)
An Artist Talk about Documentation, Identity, History and Memory between Artists Matilda Kenttä and Hilda Flygare with Emma Pettersson Juntti, Curatorlab. In Swedish.
Engaging in conversation at the public library in Kiruna, two emerging artists native to the town, Matilda Kenttä and Hilda Flygare will speak about how they navigate the themes of home, belonging, change, and community in their respective work. The reality of people’s everyday life in Kiruna is that the town is going through tremendous changes, which has an impact on all aspects of society. Art can be a way to process this change, but also a form of resistance to the ongoing exploitation of the North. The title of the talk is the concept of sitkeä [persistence], which makes reference to the straining and difficult task of capturing memories and history through art, especially in a town that is being relocated due to industrial expansion. At the same time the word sitkeä connects to the resilience needed for an artist to tediously work with difficult and deeply personal themes in their practice, among the larger social and political contexts. A collaboration with Kiruna Public Library.