What does "the good life" look like from the north, in a Nordic context and in light of global climate crises, loss of biological diversity, green transition, energy crisis and the consequences of geopolitical instability, war and conflict? These are the questions the art collective Pikene på Broen from Kirkenes asks in the group exhibition "Det gode liv // The Sweetness of Living".

► Download the programme for the week. 

There will be speeches by festival director Ragnheiður Skúladóttir, curator from Pikene på bro Dr. Neal Cahoon. The exhibition is officially opened by Culture Minister Anette Trettebergstuen. In addition, we get to hear the band PuolankaPessimism - a music project based in the town in the middle of Finland, Puolanka, which has its own pessimist association. We warmly welcome all those interested in art to a nice opening.

About the exhibition:

The ideas related to 'la dolce vita' - or the good life, describe a common attitude in southern Europe, and are claimed to be qualitatively different from the Protestant work ethic in northern European countries. Philosopher Giorgio Agamben believes that this attitude describes a completely different relationship to the future, a restoration of time, a resistance to capitalism and the preservation of a meaningful way of living. In short: the ability to define life as something outside of work.

Based on several perspectives and artistic approaches, the group exhibition will show works by artists from various areas in the north.

During the festival week, the exhibition space will be activated in various ways.

Briefly about Pikene på broen

Pikene på Broen is a collective of curators and producers based in Kirkenes in Eastern Finland, close to the border with Finland and Russia. Pikene på Broen was established in 1996 as an initiative to build cultural bridges across national borders and to create dialogue between local communities in the north. Pikine på Broen is also the organizer of the art and culture festival Barents Spektakel.