Programme Overview:
The Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) and Sámiráđđi / The Saami Council present Máhcaheapmi (Responses), a two-year programme examining art’s role in truth and reconciliation for indigenous communities. Inspired by Norway’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, the initiative comprises four indigenous-led gatherings across 2024-25.
First Gathering Details:
The first gathering, ‘Practices of Sovereignty’, takes place in April-May 2024, hosted on the ancestral lands of the P’urehpecha nation in Mexico. This event marks the beginning of a series of international dialogues and exchanges, fostering collaboration between Sámi and P’urehpecha communities. Subsequent meetings will be held in Bådåddjå and Romsa, Sápmi.
Programme Objectives:
Máhcaheapmi (Responses) aims to disseminate knowledge about the TRC report, explore artistic resistance, and contribute to decolonizing contemporary art discourse. The programme culminates with a symposium and publication in autumn 2025, seeking to bridge knowledge gaps between Nordic countries and Sápmi while challenging Europatriarchal identity models in art institutions.
The Arctic Arts Summit platform will provide updates on this groundbreaking initiative as it unfolds, looking forward to its impacts and the subsequent developments in the realm of circumpolar Indigenous art and reconciliation processes.
