Opening November 6th at 6:00 PM–8:00 PM.
__
In collaboration with Pikene på Broen and Safemuse, we present Tegnerforbundet – the Norwegian Drawing Center the group exhibition Kunsten fanger . Through drawing, performance, film and conversations, the exhibition shines a spotlight on artists living in exile, and those who continue to work in authoritarian contexts. The exhibition thematizes exile both as a physical forced migration and as an internal exile, a state in which artists practice under risk in their homeland. The exhibition will be on display at Pikene på Broen in Kirkenes from May 28 to August 1, 2026.
Participating artists: Alicia Gorshenina (Russia), Anna Tolkacheva (Russia), Petr Sarukhanov (Russia/Georgia), Saba Pouyeshman (Iran), Andrei Busel (Belarus), Vera Shysh (Belarus), Nurperi Orunbaeva (Kyrigistan), Thinh Nguyen (Vietnam).
Artistic Space and Freedom
The theme of the exhibition goes beyond individual stories. It points to the structural conditions for the existence of art in a global landscape where freedom is being steadily constrained, and how artistic space must be continually negotiated. The boundaries of what artists are allowed to do shift as regimes increasingly restrict people's freedoms. Some artists are imprisoned or forced into exile, while others must navigate subtly within ever-narrowing spaces. Artistic freedom thus appears as a fragile, negotiated space, constantly exposed to political and ideological changes.
The diverse voices in the exhibition demonstrate that the struggle for artistic freedom is not linear, but unfolds within varying degrees of visibility, risk, and resistance. For some, exile becomes a place from which they can speak freely, though from a distance. Others continue their work from within, in constant negotiation with those in power.
At the Intersection of East, West and North
The project Art Captures originates from Kirkenes, a border town where Norway meets Russia, and where east, west and north overlap. Since 1996, Pikene på Broen has worked at the intersection of art and geopolitics, with an emphasis on dialogue rather than isolation. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, they consciously chose to continue their collaboration with independent Russian artists with the goal of supporting those who risk a lot to oppose the government.
By bringing together voices from different geographies and positions, the exhibition reminds us that artistic freedom is not an abstract idea, but a struggle fought repeatedly, in concrete places, by real people, with real consequences.
__
Curator: Ingrid Valan / The Girls on the Bridge.
Coordinator and producer: Jon Lundell / Safemuse.
Exhibition producer: Hilde Lunde / Tegnerforbundet – the Norwegian Drawing Center .
__
About the Girls on the Bridge: Pikene på Broen er et kollektiv av kuratorer og produsenter basert i Kirkenes, en by i det nordøstlige Norge. Kirkenes ligger 15 km fra den russiske grensen og 50 km fra den finske grensen, og er dermed ideelt plassert for grenseoverskridende samarbeid og kulturell utveksling i Arktis.
About Safemuse: Safemuse – Safe Havens for Artists is a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight for artistic freedom. It provides persecuted and at-risk artists with a safe place to live and develop their work. Artistic freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, essential for democracy and democratic development. Safemuse is built on the foundation of these universal principles of human rights and the promotion of artistic freedom.
About Tegnerforbundet – the Norwegian Drawing Center : About Tegnerforbundet – The Norwegian Drawing Center: Tegnerforbundet – The Norwegian Drawing Center works to show the breadth of the drawing field and to promote the discourse around drawing as an art form. The organization’s activities include exhibitions with both Norwe-gian and international artists, the drawing program UNG I TEGNING, various drawing-related events, the magazine NUMER, and its role as a union under Norske Billedkunstnere (NBK).
__
Files to download:
___
6:00 PM / Theater play – Stage Reading: Vanya is Alive, in collaboration with Echo of Lubimovka. By Natalia Lizorkina, directed by Gulnara Iskakova. Language : Russian with English subtitles.
6:45 PM / Conversation: Actress Gulnara Iskakova and artist Saba Pouyeshman in conversation about artists and self-censorship. Moderated by Evgeny Goman, Pikene på Broen. Language : English.
5:00 PM / Film screening: How do you live when your son is a volunteer soldier and your own village sees you as an enemy? Documentary by Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper.
5:45 PM / Film screening: Ivan Chai. A search volunteer buried 20,000 soldiers and his own son. Documentary by Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper.
18:15 / Conversation: Novaya Gazeta journalist Tatiana Britskaya in conversation with Irina Ivanova, Pikene på Broen. Language: English.
__
The exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Fritt Ord.
___
Photo: Nurperi Orunbaeva. Sanzhyra (excerpt).
