Artist in Residence Spring 2023

The spring artist in residence programis over and we can say thank you to 25 artists from over 10 different projects. Four of the projects had artists who have fled from Ukraine, Russia and Palestine and they were given time, space and mentoring by Seanse's professional staff. Artists from both at innland and abroad with very varied backgrounds gained an unique insight into the perspective and background of others.

The artist in residency program at Seanse is an unique interdisciplinary program that brings together artists from different art fields, backgrounds, experiences and regions to inspire and influence each other through conversations, insights and to the display their work. The residency aims to promote creativity, innovation and cross-cultural exchange between art forms, and encourage artists to explore new ideas, push boundaries and challenge social norms.

Skjellsord - Åpen Scene

In addition to accepting in all types of projects for this year's artist residency, we have had an extra focus on supporting artists who have come from conflict areas or live in exile. These are artists who often face several obstacles in being able to follow up on their creative and artistic intentions, be it traumatic experiences or other challenges they have been through. The program has the intention of giving them a safe place to develop and express their stories, feelings and thoughts through their artistic expressions. With mentoring from Seanse, they have received advice, help and suggestions to be able to develop and navigate the art field both within Norway and their respective home countries. In some cases, advice and tips can provide opportunities for new collaboration partners, which in turn can be important for the project to be realised. The artists have contributed to a greater understanding of what it means to create art under marginal conditions. These are experiences from a "parallel reality" that puts "our own" art production in new and different perspectives.

Wesam Almadani under Åpen Scene

Author and activist Wesam Almadani is working on the book "How the war left me alive". The book is about the effect war has on people and the society, and about how it affects us in everyday life - whether we are journalists, doctors, military, old or young. One of the stories is about a missile that did not explode, and how the missile "feels" as a result. In this story, she reflects on social values that are manifested in war in a satirical way. At her own request, she received feedback on how far she could go into details in the descriptions. For some, war can be experienced at a distance through news and social media, while literature provides a different insight and thoughts.

Seanse understands the importance of giving artists in exile the opportunity to work under good conditions. As the artists continue to share their stories and perspectives, they inspire others to nurture their own creative resources, break down barriers and pave the way for a more inclusive society. The picture below is from the production "The Whip" with Russian artist Yulia Arsen who are currently staying in France. In the project, Yulia works with a culturally charged object - a whip and through her "partnership" with it and detailed movement exploration, she develops her own bodily knowledge of fragility, flow and freedom. It is an object that makes noise, provokes, calls our attention and confuses us.

The Whip - Yulia Arsen

SPRING PRODUCTIONS

WEEK 24

WEEK 25