Month: October 2025

Opening: November 6th at 6:00 PM–8:00 PM.

Exhibition: Nov 7, 2025 – Dec 21, 2025

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In collaboration with Pikene på Broen and Tegnerforbundet – the Norwegian Drawing Center, we present 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), 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. 

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Curator: Ingrid Valan / The Girls on the Bridge.

Coordinator and producer: Jon Lundell / Safemuse.

Exhibition producer: Hilde Lunde / Tegnerforbundet – the Norwegian Drawing Center .

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About Pikene på Broen: Pikene på Broen is a collective of curators and producers based in Kirkenes, a town in northeastern Norway. Kirkenes is located 15 km from the Russian border and 50 km from the Finnish border, making it ideally positioned for cross-border collaboration and cultural exchange in the Arctic.

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).

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Files to download:

Curator’s text Norwegian

Curator’s text English

Press release Norwegian

Press release English

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Events during the exhibition period:
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Friday, November 7:

6:00 PM / Theater play: Stage Reading: Vanya is Alive with Echo of Lubimovka. By Natalia Lizorkina, directed by Gulnara Iskakova. ‍ Language : English.

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.

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Saturday, November 8:

5:00 PM / Film screening: The most important is not to betray yourself . Documentary by Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper.

5:30 PM / Film screening: Ivan Chai. A search volunteer buried 20,000 soldiers and his own son. Documentary by Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper.

18:00 / Conversation: Novaya Gazeta journalist Tatiana Britskaya in conversation with Irina Ivanova, Pikene på Broen. Language: English.

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The exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Fritt Ord.

I regjeringens strategi «Ytringsberedskap – Nasjonal strategi for eit ope og opplyst offentleg ordskifte» vektlegges internasjonalt samarbeid for å forsvare demokratiske verdier. 

Hatefulle ytringer, desinformasjon og propaganda omtales som alvorlige trusler mot det offentlige ordskiftet, og Norge skal være en tydelig forsvarer av ytringsfriheten i multilaterale fora.

Likevel er det et tydelig tomrom; utfordringene som forfulgte og sensurerte kunstnere møter, nevnes knapt. Kunstnerisk ytringsfrihet trekkes inn, men uten konkretisering av hva det innebærer for dem som risikerer represalier, eksil eller yrkesforbud.

Mens journalister løftes fram som særlig utsatt gruppe, omtales ikke kunstnere og kulturarbeidere på samme måte. Dette er problematisk. 

Rapporter fra Safemuse og Freemuse viser at kunstnere i mange land er svært sårbare, ofte i likhet med, eller mer enn, journalister. De kan risikere fengsling, vold eller livstruende straff bare for å uttrykke seg gjennom kunst. Likevel overses denne dimensjonen i regjeringens rammeverk.

Heller ikke praktiske hindringer for kunstnere som søker sikkerhet nevnes. UDIs behandling av visumsøknader er tidkrevende og preget av mistillit. Krav om at hele livsoppholdet må være disponibelt på norsk bankkonto gjør det ofte umulig for forfulgte kunstnere å komme til Norge, i strid med UNESCO-konvensjonen om kulturelt mangfold.

Regjeringen omtaler Norges internasjonale rolle, men problematiserer ikke hvordan norsk forvaltning kan undergrave menneskerettslige forpliktelser.

Gjennom residenser i Oslo og Hvitsten skaper Safemuse trygge pusterom for kunstnere, med nettverk og oppfølging som gjør det mulig å fortsette å skape. Dette arbeidet er ressurskrevende og viser at manglende institusjonell støtte begrenser Safemuses muligheter.

Regjeringens strategi fremhever prinsipper og multilaterale prosesser, men ignorerer de konkrete hindringene kunstnere støter på i møte med norske institusjoner. Dette kan føre til at Norge fremstår som en sterk forsvarer av ytringsfriheten internasjonalt, samtidig som man neglisjerer forpliktelsene overfor kunstnere i praksis.

Å forsvare ytringsfrihet krever mer enn kritikk av sensur i autoritære stater; det krever også at byråkratiske barrierer og konkrete sårbarheter for kunstnere møtes.

Safemuse vet hvordan dette kan gjøres, men dagens system legger unødige hindringer i veien. Regjeringen bør integrere disse erfaringene for å sikre at kunstnere kan fortsette å skape og delta i samfunnet.

Innlegget ble publisert i Dagsavise den 10. okt 2025: https://shorturl.at/Z7HHh