Joint project by Tok Curators and Intercult aimed at strengthening partnership between Russian and Swedish artists and curators is in its full swing. This week TOK Curators are spending at the Residence Botkyrka run by Botkyrka Konsthall in Stockholm. In Botkyrka art is used as a catalyst in the social structure. Residence Botkyrka is a studio program for internationally active artists, architects and curators.
Here different skills and experiences come together and develop at the intersection of artistic work, research, educational work, social and urban planning. Botkyrka is part of Greater Stockholm and is one of Sweden’s most international munticipalities with people from about eighty different countries speaking more than hundred languages – from Arabic to Russian.
The residency promotes site-specific, context-based art exploring the possibilities of art to influence a place and its identity. As a part of their curatorial research TOK curators organize a kitchen conversation about challenges, possibilities and potential of international residencies. How sustainable are they? What do communities gain form visiting artists and curators? Is the current format of residencies efficient or it should be reconsidered? These and other questions we will discuss with artists and curators from Sweden, Russia, Syria and Brazil while enjoying some good Russian food cooked by TOK in the cosy kitchen at Residence Botkyrka.
Maria Veits, TOK
