OSLO.- Relational Paths. Art Beyond Reconciliation. Ideas and Creations from S醦mi and Abya Yala is a result of a multi-year programme initiated by OCA – Office for Contemporary Art Norway, KORO – Public Art Norway and S醡irđđi – the Saami Council.
Building on long-standing critiques of “reconciliation” as a reliable construct for confronting destructive colonial legacies on Indigenous communities, this new book proposes various modes of relational forms as a more productive framework for acknowledging history, confronting the present and considering new reparative futures. The collaboration and publication were prompted by but have no formal connection to the Norwegian Parliament’s establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2018.
“This publication explores how art, justice, and reconciliation can be understood through relationality. How S醡i and other Indigenous artists and intellectuals challenge, redefine and reject state-centred premises and processes of Truth and Reconciliation, but more importantly, propose ideas and creations centred in their own worldviews. It aims to build bridges and solidarity between Indigenous territories, communities and peoples, to encourage accountability among allies and institutions, and to mend relations with the non-human landscape.” —The editors of Relational Paths
Three events celebrate the launch of Relational Paths
OCA, KORO and the Saami Council present three events in collaboration with partners from S醦mi and Abya Yala.
In July, OCA arranged a two-day programme titled ‘Alternative Ways of Organising’ at Riddu Riđđu Festiv醠a (Olmm醝v醙gi, S醦mi). The programme included book presentation, film screening, workshops and conversations that brought to life key concepts of the publication for the festival audience. Colectivo Cherani, the political and artistic initiative organised by an intergenerational group, were represented in the four-day programme by Bethel Cucu, Giovanni Guerrero, Francisco Huaroco and Alain Silva; and S醡i artist M醨j Karlsen who partnered with Lara Okafor for open workshops.
In September, KORO will host the Oslo launch event that will take place at Samisk Hus and bring together contributors to the book, including the renowned S醡i artist Britta Marakatt-Labba, in a presentation of the project that will focus on art and public space. There will also be conversations around the Norwegian institutional and cultural field’s postures, responsibilities and possibilities in the wake of the delivery of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report in 2023; using the relational proposition central to the research as a prompt for looking beyond what scholar Michelle Daigle has termed the “spectacle of reconciliation.”
In November, OCA and MUAC – Museo Universitario Arte Contempor醤eo will host a programme revolving around three key concepts for the publication that are included in “Worlds in Words”, a glossary-like section in the middle of the publication, where language from S醦mi and Abya Yala come forth directly from contributors featured in the publication.
–Xanharis ( P'urh閜echa ) meaning to walk together, make community.
This conversation will generate reflections on different worldviews and ways of living together and creating community, as well as the importance of creating autonomous spaces, such as Riddu Riđđu Festiv醠a, or the new agency NANU – S醡i Arts International.
–Jojtkuj'鋔t'n ( Ayutla Mixe ) literally meaning to have your guts centered, in equilibrium.
In this conversation, we will be generating reflections about methodologies and ways of confronting and talking about Truth and Reconciliation processes in different geographies.
–D錫jmijes vuekie (Southern S醡i) is a S醡i aesthetic paradigm opposed to how “beauty” is understood in the Western world.
In this conversation, the notions of beauty and aesthetics will be addressed more specifically from a S醡i worldview, connecting with other similar perspectives in other communities.
With and by
Contributors: Christina H鎡ta, Rosa Ch醰ez, Y醩naya Elena Gil and Eva Maria Fjellheim, M醨et 羘ne Sara, Colectivo Cherani by Alain Silva, Kissel Bravo Hern醤dez and Bernardo Nez; Pauliina Feodoroff, Joyce Rivas, Frederik Prost and Inga Wiktoria P鍁e, Ana Braconnier De Le髇 and Juan Esteban Calder髇, Anders Sunna, Daniela Catrileo, Joar Nango, Britta Marakkat-Labba, Geir Tore Holm, Drew Snyder and Itzel Esquivel.
Ed.: Eva Maria Fjellheim, Itzel Esquivel and Drew Snyder
Design by 羠vu
Publishers: OCA – Office for Contemporary Art Norway, KORO – Public Art Norway, S醡irđđi – Saami Council and Temblores Publicaciones.
