Destinations
Art and Ecology in Scandinavia (Sweden)
June 15 - 26
$ 5000
This program will study the effects of global warming and other relevant ecological issues affecting the environment in northern Sweden and, in turn, its local arts and culture. From Kiruna to Moskosel, Boden and Stockholm, we will visit artists' studios, museums, and meet with key professionals in the arts and culture to understand how this northern society deals with its rapidly changing environment. This region has a very delicate ecosystem that is currently being disrupted, displacing reindeer populations and, with them, its indigenous Sámi population. Sápmi, as the land is called in its original language, has been inhabited for centuries by Sámi families dedicated to reindeer herding. This balanced relationship has been disrupted by iron mining, displacing families and thousands of animals. And with them, their ecosystem.
Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, is located in the middle of Sapmi, and has been a mining city for more than a century. Today, its soil is sinking, and its inhabitants are mandated to move two miles east. Together we will think about how inhabitants balance economic growth while sustaining an activity that inevitably will affect the soil under their very own homes. We will meet with artists to understand how they are responding to this mandatory displacement.
We will travel to Moskosel and Boden, visiting rapids and other natural highlights, learning about the Swedish forest and how its inhabitants embrace the environment. In addition, we will visit artist residencies and museums in the middle of the woods.
The second part of the program will find us in Stockholm, where much of the arts and cultural activity is concentrated. We will visit key institutions, including the Moderna Museet, the Royal Institute of Arts and the International Programme for Visual and Applied Arts, among others.
Tuition includes: Double-occupancy hotel accommodations, daily Continental breakfast, welcome and farewell dinners, guided tours and museum admission, as well as transportation within the Norrbotten region, flight from Luleå to Stockholm and local transportation in Stockholm.
Activity Level: moderate to vigorous (13-15 on the RPE Scale)
Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, is located in the middle of Sapmi, and has been a mining city for more than a century. Today, its soil is sinking, and its inhabitants are mandated to move two miles east. Together we will think about how inhabitants balance economic growth while sustaining an activity that inevitably will affect the soil under their very own homes. We will meet with artists to understand how they are responding to this mandatory displacement.
We will travel to Moskosel and Boden, visiting rapids and other natural highlights, learning about the Swedish forest and how its inhabitants embrace the environment. In addition, we will visit artist residencies and museums in the middle of the woods.
The second part of the program will find us in Stockholm, where much of the arts and cultural activity is concentrated. We will visit key institutions, including the Moderna Museet, the Royal Institute of Arts and the International Programme for Visual and Applied Arts, among others.
Tuition includes: Double-occupancy hotel accommodations, daily Continental breakfast, welcome and farewell dinners, guided tours and museum admission, as well as transportation within the Norrbotten region, flight from Luleå to Stockholm and local transportation in Stockholm.
Activity Level: moderate to vigorous (13-15 on the RPE Scale)