Curating in a field
A talk by HIAP resident Jonatan Habib Engqvist
Sinne Gallery, Tuesday 18 April, 3-4:30 pm

“The centre is always someone else’s periphery and the distinctions constructed between local and the international have always been rather awkward. Furthermore, rural or urban conditions of production don’t necessarily contradict those we find in the big city or in the centre. They are not better nor worse but, perhaps, driven by a somewhat different logic. Departing from an international interregional project over four years, initiating dialogues between contemporary art and local knowledge in the region of Småland in Sweden, I will give examples of some conversations, gatherings, collaborations, residences, workshops, a hostage drama, exhibitions over the course of four years – and a subsequent book. Hopefully there will also be time to speak about a few things that have developed from this, many of which still are in process.”

Jonatan Habib Engqvist is a curator, author and occasional teacher. He is the co-editor of Ord&Bild, curator of experimental projects and over 50 exhibitions on 4 continents including international biennales and festivals Art D-0 ARK Underground, VR Pavilion at 58th Venice Biennale, Cycle Music&Art Festival Berlin/Reykjavík, Survival Kit Riga, Sinopale in Turkey, Momentum biennale in Moss, Norway, and Reykjavík Arts Festival. He is Founding director of Curatorial Residency in Stockholm, previously manager of visual art at Iaspis, curator at Moderna Museet and employed at Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm. His writing has been published widely in several languages in books and catalogues around the world.

Jonatan Habib Engqvist is a resident at HIAP Suomenlinna during April 2023. Jonatan’s curator talk is a collaboration between HIAP and Sinne Gallery.