OVIAS
A young woman embarks on a journey into a dreamlike otherworld to discover that every tiny action we do in this world, has a direct resonance in a myriad of other realms.
Six filmmakers have been chosen to represent the vibrant development of Sámi storytelling as a part of the ÁRRAN 360° exhibition, which will have its world premiere as part of ´The Sámi Pavilion´ at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia on 26th of August 2022.
ÁRRAN 360° will present 360° degree format, Virtual Reality and other digital short films which will be exhibited in a unique film lávvu, specially constructed for the Venice Biennale.
ÁRRAN 360° features six commissions by today’s leading Sámi filmmakers and digital artists, who were chosen through the open call launched in June 2021.
The assessment jury consisted of representatives from ISFI, OCA and NFI: Anne Lajla Utsi ISFI, Liisa Holmberg ISFI, Rune Tellefsen NFI and Katya García-Anón OCA.
Filmmaker
Reindeer herder, filmmaker & composer
Videographer, photographer, documentarist & carpenter
Multimedia artist
Photographic and video artist
Director and film worker
ÁRRAN 360° – a place where the human and non-human relations are interwoven
Árran is a Northern Sámi word to describe the hearth of a lávvu, around which the Sámi storytelling has taken place since time immemorial.
ÁRRÁN 360° embodies the Sámi perspectives on circular time, where past, present and future meet in a continual flow of time, bodies and ideas.
Árran symbolizes the life force of the Sámi people, a place where the relationality between human, and non-human beings is interwoven.
In an historic first, the Nordic Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale – the heart of the Venice Biennale – is transforming into ‘The Sámi Pavilion’, with a project commissioned by Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) featuring the Sámi artists Pauliina Feodoroff, Máret Ánne Sara and Anders Sunna.
The Sámi Pavilion celebrates the art and sovereignty of the Indigenous Sámi people, whose nation extends across the Nordic countries and into the Kola Peninsula in Russia.
”This is the first time the Sámi people claim a sovereign space in this way. – – The Sámi Pavilion presents the artists of today, exploring ideas, images and issues that are part of our past and continue to be relevant today.” – Liisa-Rávná Finbog
The Sámi Pavilion exhibition is curated by a group consisting of Sámi scholar Liisa-Rávná Finbog, Director and Chief Curator of OCA Katya García-Antón, and Sámi land guardian Beaska Niillas; curatorial assistants: Liv Brissach, Raisa Porsanger and Martina Petrelli.
Not only will ÁRRAN 360° present the latest creative tendencies in Sámi film and digital storytelling, but the arena will also be the scene of a unique technological exploration.
The arena will be custom designed as a traditional lávvu with a 360 degree screen and has the capacity of up to 20 spectators.
In this space 360 degree films and visual work will be screened in an endless loop.
The ÁRRAN 360° lávvu will be located at the Venetian island of San Servolo, in the yard of Venice International University. San Servolo is conveniently located in between the Giardini della Biennale and the island of Lido, the location of the Venice Film Festival.
In the middle of the lagoon it will become a space for immersive and holistic Indigenous storytelling and reflections.
The arena and event will be an official part of the Sámi Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2022.
ÁRRAN 360° is a project initiated by International Sámi Film Institute and developed in close collaboration with the Office for Contemporary Art Norway and the Norwegian Film Institute.
International Sami Film Institute (ISFI) is dedicated to providing Sámi people with the skills and economic opportunities in developing, producing, and distributing Sámi films in the Sámi language.
The Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) is a public institution operating under the authority of the Ministry of Culture. NFI is the government’s executive body for the film sector and its advisor on film policy issues
Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) is a non-profit foundation created by the Norwegian Ministries of Culture and of Foreign Affairs in 2001. Its principle aim is to foster dialogue between art practitioners in Norway, including Sápmi, and the international arts scene, through discursive programs and exhibitions, and support artists based in Norway in their activities around the world. OCA has been responsible for Norway’s contribution to the visual arts section of La Biennale di Venezia since 2001.