Elina Brotherus (Finland), Hertta Kiiski (Finland), Kawthar Al Harthi (Oman), Khadija Al Maamari (Oman), Lada Suomenrinne (Sápmi), Maija Blåfield (Finland), Paola Fernanda Guzmán Figueroa (Colombia, Finland), Rosaliina Paavilainen (Finland),  Ruqaiya Mazar (Baluchistan, Oman), Safa Baluchi (Baluchistan, Oman)

We invited ten artists living and working in Finland and Oman, including two mentors – Elina Brotherus and Maija Blåfield – to participate in a programme of production and exchange in summer 2023, culminating in a residency at the Saari Residence, hosted by the Kone Foundation, in Finland.

During two weeks in June, the artists worked with external prompts to make a new work or a ‘sketch’ for a new work each day. The prompts were generated through a game of darts with three boards and a set of words assigned to the scores on each of them. These chance-determined words defined the parameters for each assignment across three categories: form or theme, place or stage, time or dimension. For some of the artists, the prompts led to the creation of complete pieces, while for others they were an opportunity to experiment and play with new ways of working.

Resonance: Finland 2023 was conceived by The Wapping Project in partnership with Stal Gallery, Muscat, Oman. The programme was possible thanks to the generous support and funding from Kone Foundation, including the provision of accommodation and workspaces for ten artists at Saari Residence near Turku in Finland.