Íslensku Myndlistarverðlaunin voru afhent við hátíðlega athöfn þann 20. mars síðastliðinn. Að því tilefni hélt forstjóri Norræna hússins, Sabina Westerholm, hugvekju um mikilvægi lista í lýðræðislegu samfélagi.
Hér fyrir neðan er hægt að lesa ræðuna hennar.
„Gott kvöld, Til hamingju med daginn.
This is a night to celebrate art and its potential to change the world.
We are living in a time of major shifts and uncertainty. While these shifts can be overwhelming, it is essential that we remain optimistic and recognize the opportunities they present. There certainly is a demand for new ways of thinking, creativity, and broader perspectives to tackle these challenges and there is a momentum for art and art institutions to rise to the occasion and be at the forefront.
We all know that art is important, but we need to move away from the tendency to justify its value through the objectives of other disciplines. Instead, we should empower art as a fundamental cornerstone of a democratic and sustainable society.
In Norway the government’s new preparedness plan emphasizes the importance of art and culture as vital resources, acknowledging their capacity to unite, strengthen communities, and build resilience—something we should advocate for here as well.
The Nordics is one of a few democratic regions left and we need to speak up and defend the values that we find important. Of course, recognizing the diversity in the Nordics and actively engaging perspectives and knowledge from various areas and communities, including minorities and marginalized groups.
We also need to pay attention to the shifts we are experiencing in our own backyard. A recent report from Kulturanalys Norden reveals that threats and violence against artists and writers in the Nordic region is a concrete problem.
In Iceland, 43% of responding visual artists report having faced threats, violence, or harassment at some point, of whom 10% during the last 12 months. A total of 46 % completely or partially agreed with the statement that experiences of threats, violence or harassment have limited their own artistic freedom.
This is deeply concerning, and we must take collective action to safeguard artistic freedom. We who represent art institutions and museums need to use the unique trust capital we have in society to foster public understanding of the significance of artistic freedom, its role in strengthening society and its part in a healthy democracy through all available means. Of course, always including the perspectives of artists.
I invite you to join us at the Nordic House on May 20th for a presentation of this important report, followed by a panel discussion—please save the date.
Here in Iceland, we have remarkable opportunities to effect change through art. This is clearly made evident by this great turnout tonight and the immense quality of the artists and projects nominated this year.
We have a vibrant artist community, a tradition to recognise art and culture as something valuable, a custom to work cross disciplinary and a short distance to policymakers. What we need now is collective action and faith in our ability to make an impact, as we work together toward common goals and brake down the different silos that we are used to operating within.
As part of this major transition, we must also examine our organizations and structures. We need to celebrate diversity and new perspectives and ensure equal access for all. We are used to being creative in our content, but could we also embrace more innovative approaches to how we organize ourselves and our institutions? Can we learn from the grassroots, the artist-run-spaces and the activists? Can we make room for their passion and capability?
In times of crisis, art is more important than ever. It can challenge, demonstrate, raise awareness, give comfort, inspire empathy and action, influence public opinion, ask questions, speculate, counteract extremism and foster resilience against destabilizing forces. The list goes on and on.
Finally, I want to take the opportunity to thank all of you artists here tonight for your hard work, your courage, and your generousity.
We need to stay hopeful and above all, we can never stop believing in the power of art.
Takk Fyrir.“
*Mynd: Sundayandwhitestudio