More than 60 artists from Sápmi are represented in this exhibition, which presents a selection from our collection of over 1,300 works – the largest collection of Sámi art in the world. The resulting display aims to give visitors to Sámi Dáiddamusea an introduction to the wide diversity of Sámi art, with the variety of materials, formats and media employed matched by the range of motifs and concepts communicated. Central figures within Sámi art are included, from pioneers like John Savio (1902-1938) and Iver Jåks (1932-2007), through to Synnøve Persen (b. 1950), Britta Marakatt-Labba (b. 1951) and other members of the Máze Group, and onwards to today’s generation such as Joar Nango (b. 1979) and Hanne Grieg Hermansen (b. 1984).

The exhibition’s title, There Is No, takes its initial cue from some longstanding ideas that have circulated within and around Sámi artistic practice, and indigenous art practice more broadly. From an outsider perspective, the claim that “there is no Sámi word for art” often revealed a number of misconceptions about Sámi culture. From an insider perspective, however, the self-affirmation that “there is no word for art in my language” signaled a rejection of standard fine arts categories of reception and understanding. Building on this latter point of departure, There Is No offers up a series of dynamic and vibrant manifestations of cultural expression that strategically resist, extend and challenge established ways of thinking in mainstream art history.

There is no set of rules for Sámi art.

There is no fixed definition of Sámi art.

There is no limitation on Sámi artists.

There is no.