Norwegian Crafts invited Nango to take part in our Curator in Residence Programme in 2019, with the aim of building up our own knowledge about duodji and to connect with Sámi communities on the Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish side of Sápmi. We were able to consult Nango on upcoming programmes and strategies concerning Sámi and indigenous art and culture, in particular the concept of duodji. During the residency, Nango introduced Norwegian Crafts to a number of duojarat, artists and Sámi institutions throughout Sápmi, such as Ájtte Museum Duottar-Ja Sámemusea (Swedish Mountain and Sami Museum) and Sámij åhpadusguovdásj (Samernas Utbildningscentrum) in Jåhkåmåhke/Jokkmokk, Sámi allaskuvla (Sámi University of Applied Sciences) and Dáiddadállu in Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino, Riddu Riđđu Festivála and Davvi álbmogiid guovddáš (Center of northern peoples) in Olmmáivággi/Manndalen, RidduDuoattarMuseat and Sámi Dáiddaguovddáš SDG (Sámi Center for Contemporary Art) in Kárášjohka/Karasjok and Sámi oahpahusguovddaš (Saamelaisalueen Koulutuskeskus ) in Anár/Inari.

About Joar Nango

Artist and architect Joar Nango works with site-specific installations and self-made publications that explore the boundary between architecture, design, and visual art. His work relates to questions of indigenous identity, often through investigating oppositions and contradictions in contemporary architecture. He has explored modern Sámi spaces through a self-published zine series entitled Sámi Huksendáidda: the Fanzine, a design project entitled Sámi Shelters, and the mixtape/clothing project Land & Language. He is a founding member of the architecture collective FFB (Fellesskapsprosjektet å Fortette Byen, “The collective project for a denser concentration of the city”), which works with temporary installations in urban contexts. Nango’s works has been exhibited at Documenta 14, as well as at 161 Gallon Gallery and Gallery Deluxe Gallery in Halifax, Galerie SAW Gallery in Ottawa, and at Western Front in Vancouver. Nango was commissioned to make a site-specific installation the indigenous exhibition Àbadakone | Continuous Fire | Feu continuel at the National Gallery in Canada.