From Sápmi to Aotearoa: Connecting architecture and craft across the hemispheres

Titled Constructing an archive of Indigenous structure, the present is an iteration of Nango’s ‘Girjegumpi’ challenge (a nomadic Sámi architectural library), which was offered on the Nordic Nations Pavilion on the 18th Worldwide Structure Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Formally skilled as an architect, Joar Nango’s apply contains collaborative site-specific installations and self-made publications that discover the boundaries between structure, design and visible artwork. As one among only some Sámi architects, amplifying concepts associated to Indigenous modern structure and conventional constructing customs are integral to his work.

Location: Objectspace, 13 Rose Street, Tāmaki Makaurau, AucklandOpening: 6 pm Friday 29 NovemberDuration: 30 November by means of to 16 March 2025

Starting throughout his time finding out structure, Nango has collected books and supplies related to Sámi structure and Indigenous worldviews. In 2018, these texts got here to be housed in Girjegumpi, a nomadic Sámi architectural library that has since travelled throughout Sápmi, and into Europe and Canada. Inside Girjegumpi, Nango provides an area for training and dialogue, addressing points related to Indigenous structure, resistance, and Indigenisation: the significance of collaborative work, consideration of useful resource use in urgently altering climates, regionally grounded materials circulate and delicate approaches to landscapes.

At Objectspace, Nango creates a continuation of Girjegumpi. This manifestation of the challenge centres on information sharing and continues Girjegumpi’s foundations of interrogation and alternate. Previous to the exhibition opening, a bunch of Indigenous architects from Aotearoa, Sápmi and Australia gathered to supply texts that now grow to be a part of Girjegumpi. In Aotearoa, facilitating an area to think about Māori structure was integral to the challenge and marks the start of alternate, tautoko and awhi for the practitioners current.

Inside this exhibition, the publications, shifting picture from Nango’s archive, textiles and ephemera create a set emblematic of the collaborative grounding of Nango’s apply. It’s a gathering area, a studying room for research and a dreaming place for Indigenous creativeness.

Joar Nango’s idea of Girjegumpi

The title Girjegumpi is derived from two Northern Sámi phrases: ‘Gumpi’ is a cellular cabin on runners, most frequently pulled by a snowmobile. ‘Girji’ means ebook. The development of Girjegumpi attracts on Sámi constructing traditions, characterised by improvisation, pragmatism and adaptation to atmosphere.

Girjegumpi is a nomadic challenge that modifications in numerous conditions and contexts. It was exhibited for the primary time as a part of the Arctic Arts Competition in Harstad in 2018. It has been exhibited in Jokkmokk, Canada, Bergen, Oslo and most not too long ago Bodø. In 2023, Nango, alongside a group of collaborators offered Girjegumpi on the Nordic Nations Pavilion on the 18th Worldwide Structure Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

In regards to the artist

Joar Nango is an architect and artist based mostly in Romsa, Norway. His work is rooted in Sápmi — the normal Sámi territory overlaying the northern areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. By constructing, site-specific interventions, design collaborations, pictures, publications and video, Nango’s work explores the position of Sámi and Indigenous structure and craft in modern thought. Nango’s work, together with the long-term challenge Girjegumpi, is nurtured by parallel collaborations with different artists, architects, and craftspeople. Educated on the Norwegian College of Science and Know-how (NTNU) in Trondheim, Nango graduated in Structure in 2008. Since then, his work has been offered at documenta 14, Bergen Kunsthall, Nationwide Museum Oslo – Structure, Canadian Centre for Structure, Sámi Dáiddaguovddáš (Sámi Centre for Modern Artwork), and Kiasma.

This exhibition contains contributions from Eveliina Sarapää, Magnus Antaris Tuolja, Katarina Spik Skum and Ken Are Bongo.

Joar Nango: Constructing an archive of Indigenous structure has been developed by Objectspace and supported by Nordisk Kulturfond’s Globus initiative and The Warren Belief.

Comply with @objectspace for data and updates on upcoming occasions and exhibitions in each Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Ōtautahi Christchurch.