A unique exhibition that focuses on women from indigenous peoples of the North will be on display at the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 5th International Arctic Forum, which will be held at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg on 9–10 April with support of the Consulate General of Sweden in St. Petersburg, Swedish companies and Östkontoret. The Interruptions photo exhibition was put together by the artist duo Cooper&Gorfer. The artists; Sarah Cooper and Nina Gorfer, travel extensively to remote and hard-to-reach places in Sweden, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Latin America, where they study people’s life styles, ethnic culture, and working and living conditions, and then create vivid photographs. The Interruptions project features portraits of women and explores the fragile beauty of the unique world of Swedish Lapland.
“Sweden attaches great importance to international and interregional cooperation that aims to develop the Arctic region. Diplomats and businessmen from this country have become regular partners of the International Arctic Forum”, Adviser to the Russian President Anton Kobyakov said commenting on the upcoming exhibition. “In this regard, the joint decision was made to hold such a socially important exhibition as part of the business programme at the Forum in St. Petersburg. I am certain that the exhibition will attract the attention of the Forum’s guests and participants and will provide a deeper understanding of the importance of international projects that aim to develop the Arctic regions and improve the living conditions of the indigenous peoples of the North”.
“This is not just a beautiful exhibition”, said Eva Sundquist; Consul General of Sweden in St. Petersburg, “This is a profound and very respectful rendering of our northern beauty conveyed through female portraits. Each portrait displays the fate of a single woman and a whole people. In their work, the artists draw on such concepts as memory of a certain place or family and personal history as a reflection of the history of society. I think that here, in St. Petersburg, these themes are very close and familiar”.
The artists themselves are extremely conscientious in their mission and have continued to develop their important social narrative since 2006. They work under the name Cooper&Gorfer in Gothenburg (Sweden) and Berlin (Germany). All their works focus on the position of women in isolated cultures of the indigenous peoples of Northern Europe.
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“We love working at the confluence of different techniques. And we like that it is not always possible to determine exactly what you see. Is it a picture or a photo, and where is the line between them?” says Sarah Cooper. “Our images reflect this. We cut them, make collages, remove something, or add something, as is the case with the memories of each person. So sometimes the images seem more real than reality itself. Another theme is that of female spiritual kinship. As a woman, you are connected with the generations of women who lived before you. Inside your culture, society, religion, and beyond”.
The project is being implemented with the support of the Consulate General of Sweden in St. Petersburg, Region Västra Götaland and the swedish companies, that are participating in the International Arctic Forum.
