We are pleased to announce that we are inviting 12 minority artist living in Poland and Norway and one artist from outside the EEA/EU to participate in the residency exchange “Whose voices are heard?”. This by the decision of our selection committee consisting of representatives of our partners Wrocław Institute of Culture and Hvitsten Salong, plus from Safemuse,.

In 2023 we will organize 13 artistic residencies: six artists going to Wroclaw from Norway, and seven coming to Hvitsten, thanks to the support of EEA funds under the Culture Program. The main goal of the project is to contribute to equalize the chances and visibility for minority artists. A safe and comfortable place to work, where there will be room for providing questions, exchanging thoughts , cooperate, develop network and get inspired.

The design of the residency program focuses on support functions, and thus on building the value of artistic action and collaboration. In this process, the artists coming to Hvitsten will be accompanied by the curator and Safemuse residency coordinator Jon Lundell and coordinator Maria Waagbø, and in Wrocław by the curator Agata Ciastoń. The purpose of the curators and coordinator is to strengthen the residence artists in their new environment, to suggest ideas and solutions and, together with the artists, develop and implement new artistic work.
An important element of the program will be the presentation of works in Norway during the art festival Hvitsten Salong 2023 and the exhibition planned for the autumn in Wrocław.

Who was interested in participating in the program in Hvitsten?
During the month-long open call, applications came from large urban centers such as Wrocław, Warsaw, Poznań and Katowice. There were also applications from the area of Lower Silesia (outside Wrocław). Artists represented various fields of art, primarily visual arts (sculpture, painting, ceramics, glass, socially engaged art, eco-art), performative arts and photography. There were also portfolios of people looking for their creative path or adapting them to a more site-specific context. The applications represented great openness to experiment, flexibility in action to co-create a safe space for art.

Who will go to Hvitsten?
Out of over 140 applications from artists living in Poland, we selected six artist representing various visual arts, such as photography, sculpture, textiles, illustration and new media, and one artist from the open call fort a residency placement organized by Safemuse. Chosen artists have repeatedly emphasized their desire to create projects in harmony with nature, referring to the relationship between man and the natural environment.

Here are the participants of the residency in Hvitsten, Norway: