The New Genre Arctic Art Education (AAE) initiative seeks to enhance contemporary art and interdisciplinary collaboration, engage northern and Arctic residents in art-based activities, and connect academic research with Indigenous and multi-ethnic communities.
By Marija Griniuk, Director, Sámi Centre for Contemporary Art
Timo Jokela, Former Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design (ASAD), Former UArctic Chair in Arctic Art, Design and Culture, Professor Emeritus, University of Lapland
Peter Berliner, Former Lead of UArctic Thematic Network on Children of the Arctic, Chairperson, Association Siunissaq, Community Psychologist, Professor Emeritus
AAE is led by two UArctic Thematic Networks, Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design (ASAD) and Children of the Arctic, with participation from the University of Lapland, Nord University, Umeå University, and Ilisimatusarfik / University of Greenland, replaced in 2024 by the Community Art and Psychosocial Association, Siunissaq.
Central to the initiative is the Nomadic Hub of AAE which provides a framework for engaging with Arctic communities. It emphasizes an intra-action approach where learners, teachers, content, and methods interconnect and co-create knowledge and art. This mirrors a nomadic camp that adapts to the material, social, and cultural aspects of the Arctic. The Nomadic Hub serves as a platform for researchers, artists, and educators from circumpolar universities to develop sustainable and socially engaged methods. For students, the international course combines distance learning with immersive, field-based art activities. Contributions from cross-sectoral partners further enrich the initiative. So far, the Nomadic Hub has been hosted in Nuuk, Greenland in spring 2023 and Karasjok, Sápmi, Norway in spring 2024.
In Nuuk, AAE activities aligned with the conference “Art, Community, and Identities in the Arctic – Best Practices for Children, Young People, and Families”. Participants engaged in Nuuk’s urban environment through storytelling with Arctic objects, visual learning cafés, and city photo walks. These art-based methods encouraged exploration of the city’s unique character and connections with its residents. The event culminated in a pop-up exhibition, fostering collective reflection and dialogue.
In Karasjok, the activities were organized with the Sámi Centre for Contemporary Art (Sámi Dáiddaguovddáš) and Karasjok School, along with other partners including the multidisciplinary arts association Piste from Finland and Siunissaq from Greenland. Scholars and art teacher education students explored Karasjok through local art and cultural intra-actions and participated in activities integrating Sámi art, storytelling, and outdoor learning. An outdoor seminar provided space for reflection and evaluation, emphasizing local collaboration. In the Sámi Symbols workshop, artist Laila Labba shared her pedagogy for addressing sensitive topics with children and youth, offering insights from her perspective as a Sámi artist. Art historian Randi Olstad facilitated an art walk, combining storytelling about public art with immersive experiences in Karasjok’s natural surroundings.
Working with Karasjok School, university students also learned about the cultural significance of the Karasjok River for fishing, recreation, and community activities. Their participation culminated in collaborative painting together with schoolchildren about river experiences. The ribbon-like paintings were then carried by pupils and moved by a snowmobile over the frozen river, symbolizing the connection between culture and nature within the northern ecoculture.
The Nomadic Hub included diverse activities in Karasjok. Pupils’ sustainability portraits were photographed in personally meaningful locations. Traditional materials and handicraft techniques were used; for example, pupils carved their thoughts on climate change into reindeer antlers. Finally, all the works were assembled into a pop-up exhibition presented to the pupils' parents and grandparents. Some elements, such as the reindeer antlers, also became part of a public installation in front of the Sámi Parliament building in Inari.
The Nomadic Hub of AAE highlights the importance of integrating pedagogy, culture, and Indigenous perspectives through sensitivity to local communication, traditions, and environments. Intra-action – interweaving participants, methods, and materials – is central to designing meaningful learning sessions. Close dialogue with local partners is also essential to ensure workshops and activities honor and reflect community knowledge and values.
The third Nomadic Hub is to take place in Narsaq, Greenland in April 2025, based on lessons learned in Nuuk and Karasjok.
Photo: Timo Jokela
