The Arctic Sustainable Art & Design (ASAD) 2023 conference ‘Relate North: Beyond Borders’ is hosted by the Department of Creative Studies 13 – 17 November 2023. The conference will take place at the Department of Creative Studies (Teacher Education building) on the main campus; and at the UmArts Research Studio and Bildmuseet on the Arts Campus.
The conference considers how people’s lives and contextual understanding are governed and regulated to a great extent by borders and boundaries such as political, cultural, material, ideological and geographical divisions. A boundary can be physical in the form of an actual obstacle in the landscape, as well as mental beliefs grounded in culture and social norms. Borders can thus limit us, but at the same time act as a catalyst for creative actions and resistance. Art has often served as a way for people to challenge, renegotiate, redefine and transgress boundaries. In a time characterized by political and environmental concerns, this theme will be investigated in relation to the Arctic and circumpolar north.