Resource hub
knowledge transfer from Nordic countries` experts to Romania`s & Republica Moldova`s cultural practitioners
Nordic Insights: Addressing Cancel Culture in Public Spaces
a growing collection of materials gathered throughout this initiative
Resources
cultural heritage, public monuments, Nordic expertise, cancel culture, artistic intervention, cultural memory, public space, monument recontextualization, cultural innovation, Romania, Moldova, Nordic countries, digital art, community engagement, cultural dialogue, artistic research, heritage preservation, contemporary art, public art
Temporary monuments, permanent questions: curatorial strategies for contested heritage
This knowledge transfer conversation, within the project ”Nordic Insights: addressing cancel culture in public spaces through artistic dialogue and cultural innovation”, features Lisa Rosendahl, Associate Professor of Exhibition Studies at Oslo National Academy of the...
Temporary monuments, permanent questions: curatorial strategies for contested heritage
This knowledge transfer conversation, within the project ”Nordic Insights: addressing cancel...
How cities remember: transforming public spaces through community and memory work
Context This conversation features Robert Nilsson Mohammadi, Associate Senior Lecturer at Malmö...
The Pendulum of Public Memory: From Toppled Pedestals to Presidential Lawns
In the volatile summer of 2020, something unprecedented happened across the Western world. Within...
Managing Contested Public Art: From Conflict to Conversation
Managing Contested Public Art: From Conflict to Conversation is a practical toolkit developed...
Whose monument? Memory ownership, contested heritage and cancel culture in Northern and Eastern Europe, Oana Nasui ed.
Whose Monument? Memory Ownership, Contested Heritage and Cancel Culture in Northern and Eastern...
Concepts for Contemporary Monuments Baltic Worlds
This article introduces the concept of the post-monument as a way to understand how contemporary...
Decolonization of memory in the former Soviet spaces
This publication explores how societies in the former Soviet space are rethinking history, memory,...
Renegotiations – The Role of Public Art in the New Millenium
This research project was commissioned by the Public Art Agency Sweden and carried out by the Art...
Two Soviet Monuments in Salonta: A Quiet Case of Contested Heritage in Romania’s West
Historical context: the fighting around Salonta, late September – early October 1944 The Soviet...
Introduction: Heritage, Democracy and the Public – Nordic Approaches
Heritage, Democracy and the Public examines the relationship between heritage, democracy, and the...
The Ambivalent Legacy of Soviet Monuments in Latvia Post-2022
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Latvia announced the dismantling of up to 300...
Monumental Challenges Toolkit — Teaching Contested Histories Through Monuments
The Monumental Challenges Toolkit is an educational resource created to help teachers explore...
The Woman With the Handbag
The “Woman With the Handbag” is an iconic 1985 photograph by Hans Runesson showing 38-year-old...
Swedish artist’s Utøya monument project abandoned
The Norwegian government has officially decided to abandon the controversial monument project...
Hunt for culprits who vandalised memorial for Queen Victoria with red paint on the same night King Charles crowned
In 2023, a memorial to Queen Victoria in Melbourne was vandalised with red paint on the same night...
Understanding Our Shared Past: A Comparative Look at History Textbooks in Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine
This publication examines how history textbooks in the Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine...
Islamic State ‘destroys ancient Iraq statues in Mosul’
In 2015, the world watched in shock as members of the Islamic State (IS) destroyed ancient...
Recasting History: Confederate Monuments Transformed in Los Angeles Exhibition
A new exhibition in Los Angeles explores the complex legacy of Confederate monuments in the United...
Vilnius postpones removal of Soviet monument as UN human rights committee intervenes
Vilnius has decided to delay the removal of a Soviet-era monument at Antakalnis Cemetery after the...
From Controversy to Reflection: How a 2021 Monument Incident in Sibiu Inspired Nordic Insights
In 2021, the statue of Samuel von Brukenthal in Sibiu’s main square was vandalized with paint — an...
Riga to Remove Three More Controversial Monuments Linked to Russian Imperial Legacy
The Riga City Council has approved the removal of three public monuments associated with Russian...
Parametric Digital Twins for Heritage Conservation: Case Study of Löfstad Castle
This study presents how a parametric digital twin was developed for Löfstad Castle in Sweden to...
Finnish city removes final public Lenin statue
The last public statue of Vladimir Lenin in Finland has been removed by city authorities, marking...
Public Art Agency Sweden: Mapping Research and Future Directions
This report explores how public art is researched and practiced in the Nordic countries and around...
Beyond the Participatory Project – Thesis by I. Zwart
This thesis looks at what “participation” really means in museums—not just as a project outcome,...
Illusionary equality? Museum politics, practice and immigrant heritage
This article looks at how Norwegian museums are adapting to a society shaped by migration and...
Contested Boundaries: Nation, People and Cultural History Museums in Sweden and Norway 1862–1909
In 19th-century Scandinavia, museums were closely tied to the changing idea of what a “nation”...
(Un)contested Heritage Archives, Museums and Public Spaces
Heritage—whether monuments, archives, artifacts, or traditions—shapes how societies see...
Cultural Heritage and Legal Mobilisation After Terror: July 22 and the Battle for Y-Block
This article looks at how cultural heritage became a public human rights issue after the 2011...
Commemorating the Vanquished: Civil War Monuments and the Finnish National Narrative
This article explores the construction of Finland’s national narrative following its independence...
Reimagining UK Heritage: Mixed Reality Performances as Tools for Decolonisation
This article explores how two pioneering Mixed Reality Heritage Performances, including Sancho’s...
Five Cases for Public Engagement in Contested Heritage – How to Reframe Monuments Workshop in Narva (2024)
Held from August 31 to September 6, 2024, the How to Reframe Monuments workshop focused on five...
How Art and Activism Can Make Heritage – Case Studies from Sweden and Belarus
This article explores how artistic and activist practices in Sweden—and in contrast with...
Reading Museum Narratives: A Narratological Approach to Holocaust Exhibitions By Hagen Kjørholt
In Reading Museum Narratives, researcher Hagen Kjørholt presents a compelling narratological...
How Russia’s 2024 Move Against Estonia’s Prime Minister Reflected Shifting Power Dynamics in Europe
Russian authorities have added Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas to their official wanted list,...
Controversy in Norway: National Museum Faces Backlash After Iconic Painting Temporarily Removed
The National Museum in Oslo sparked public debate after removing Christian Krohg’s iconic painting...
Canceling the Canon? Nordic Pavilion at Venice Biennale Confronts Cultural Authority
The Nordic Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, featuring The Altersea Opera by Lap-See Lam,...
Contested Heritage or Cancel Culture? The Case of Ivan Meštrović’s Public Sculptures in Chicago
The article explores the controversy surrounding the public sculptures of Croatian artist Ivan...
“Cancel Culture Club & Spa” – A Nordic Artistic Response to Censorship and Public Memory
Cancel Culture Club & Spa is a performative and discursive project that brings together...
Recontextualizing Controversial Monuments: Nordic Strategies and Lessons for Eastern Europe
In the Nordic countries, particularly Sweden and Norway, there has been a concerted effort to...
Memory wound: Architectural controversies in Norway after the July 22 attacks
In 2017, the Norwegian government cancelled two planned national memorials for the 2011 terrorist...
Moving Monuments: The Material Life of Sculpture from the Danish Colonial Era
Moving Monuments is a research project based at the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies,...
AI Art Curation: Re-imagining the City of Helsinki
The project "AI Art Curation: Re-imagining the City of Helsinki" was developed for the Helsinki...
“The painting is colonial”: cancel culture and a heated media debate in Norway
Summary for Posting: In winter 2023, Norway’s cultural sector was rocked by debates on woke and...
Is Removing Statues Part of Cancel Culture?
In response to global protests in 2020, numerous controversial monuments were removed across the...
Decolonizing Colonial Heritage: New Agendas, Actors and Practices in and beyond Europe
The publication Decolonizing Colonial Heritage: New Agendas, Actors and Practices in and beyond...
The Art Piece That Lasted Less Than 24 Hours in Paris
On October 16, 2014, a 24-metre inflatable green sculpture appeared in Place Vendôme, one of...
Dark lands: the grim truth behind the ‘Scandinavian miracle’
This article by Michael Booth challenges the utopian image of the Nordic region, including its...
The dismantling of Soviet monuments: the controversial decision of Riga City Council
On October 16, 2024, the Riga City Council made the controversial decision to dismantle several...
Cultural institutions under fire: cancel culture and public discourse in Norway
The article titled "'The painting is colonial': cancel culture and a heated media debate in...
Rethink and Reload – Monuments in 21st Century Democracies
The research project "Rethink and Reload: Monuments in 21st Century Democracies," hosted by...
Cecil Rhodes won’t fall — instead Oxford commissions ‘healing’ art
Oxford’s Oriel College has chosen to keep the statue of Cecil Rhodes but will commission...
Reimagining Memory Art through Social Monuments #2
The event "Reimagining Memory: Art Through Social Monuments," organized by Public Art Agency...
Denmark Erupts Over Art Academy Firing After Bust Drowning
In 2020, a striking example of recontextualization emerged in Denmark when artist Katrine...
With the support of The Nordic Culture Fund – Globus Opstart+
Through virtual collaboration, the project will develop innovative strategies for recontextualizing controversial public art.
The Nordic Culture Fund, through its Globus Opstart+ programme, supports artistic and cultural projects that connect Nordic countries with other regions of the world. The programme focuses on establishing deep, long-term collaborations and networks that foster artistic development and experimentation. It encourages projects that explore new knowledge and strengthen cultural practices within a global framework.
