Joar Nango

The Sami people, mainly found in Russia and Lapland, continue their struggle against oppression and colonialism. For centuries, they have faced institutionalized racism, marginalization, and repression of their culture and language. Through activism, they have gained recognition and respect in recent years, but the struggle is not over. Through art and cultural resilience, the Sami assert their rights to exist and thrive in their ancestral lands.

A manure spreader, a stone and a wooden stick make up Joar Nango's unfinished artwork, which triggered an intense debate in national media. This thoughtful and epic documentary offers a platform for villagers and artists to discuss what art means.

In duorggat doarggistit, four smallbirches (duorga) are cut by a lake on the tundra.The trees are stifled, and the twigs are taken.The trunks are left behind standing in the landscape.

As a prologue to his upcoming exhibition at Bergen Kunsthall (4 Sep – 8 Nov 2020), Joar Nango made three films, together with Sámi filmmaker Ken Are Bongo, that explore Sámi architecture in a TV show format. The series was produced by Bergen Kunsthall as part of the official festival programme for the Bergen International Festival in May 2020, which could not be held in a physical form due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The series was filmed with a mobile TV studio during travels through the northern landscape, meeting guests for interviews and visiting key architectural sites.