New anthology on artistic freedom by think tank a/nordi/c

Through a collection of essays, the anthology aims to add nuance to current discussions on artistic freedom and to show different ways of looking at the concept. The book consists of 23 essays by artists, researchers, experts and thinkers from different countries, all of whom have worked with the topic in their own way.

Contributors include artists Khaled Barakeh, Jenni Laiti and Kristoffer Ørum; as well as former UN Ambassador Carsten Staur and Sarah Whyatt, a campaigner and researcher on artistic freedom of expression. One of the contributions is written by Anni Syrjäläinen, Senior Advisor at the Nordic Culture Fund.

The texts are organized thematically in the anthology’s four chapters: “Introduction to artistic freedom”, “The critical voice of art”, “All the art we do not experience” and “The digital ambivalence of art”. The book explores, among other things, the understanding of artistic freedom in different cultural contexts, the consequences of censorship for artists and society as a whole, and the historical role of the structure and systems of cultural policies in safeguarding the open and free role of art in Nordic societies.

The anthology is published in Danish and English by the publishing house Ctrl+Alt+Delete Books and can be ordered online and at several bookstores in Sweden and Denmark.

The result of long-term work in the think tank

The anthology has been produced by a/nordi/c – think tank for art & policy, which in 2022-2023 has worked to bring artistic practice and political reality closer together.

With support from the Nordic Culture Fund, the think tank has explored some of the key building blocks of Nordic cultural policy. Through a new meeting concept “Curated Conversation” and the digital knowledge platform “The Living Catalogue”, a/nordi/c has developed and tested new formats for knowledge development and cross-disciplinary discussion spaces for art, culture and politics. The organization has engaged a wide range of stakeholders from artists, the creative sector and researchers to cultural writers, art institutions and political players in the Nordic region and beyond.

A summary and documentation of a/nordi/c’s publications and activities can be found at anordic.org.