Jérémie McGowan and Amund Sjølie Sveen were artists in residence at UmArts in March 2026 in preparation for their participation at the Artic Art Summit in June. In search of the Real Arctic in Ubmeje, the artists were given a tour of the town from a Sámi perspective, visited UmArts and the Arts Campus, the Truth Telling exhibition at Bildmuseet, the Väven cultural centre and the Tráhppie Sami Cultural Centre. Jérémie and Amund gave a presentation of their practices to the Artistic Research Committee for the Arctic Arts Summit, and a lunchtime lecture for students at Umeå School of Architecture. They are developing an iteration of their Real.Arctic project for the Arctic Arts Summit, including a pop-up shop in Väven, and public interventions at UmArts and Trahppie.
McGowan is a designer, artist and punk rock bass player based in Romsa/Tromsø, Sápmi/Norway. He makes “things”, ranging from objects to ideas, provocations and, even, museums. Originally from Wilmington, NC, USA, he exhibits, curates and teaches internationally.
Sveen is a North-Norwegian artist, writer and researcher, and the artistic and political director of NORDTING. His work has for many years focused on the narratives and power struggles of the North as a starting point for investigating both local and international political questions in our globalized world of market economy.