The project received funding because of:
The project has substantial and strong participants, and the Nordic relevance is well-grounded both on a thematic level and in the aspect of networking. The project aims to broaden the view of the Arctic in global perspectives.

The applicant wrote about the project:
Arctic Art Forum is a project-based Nordic-Russian collaboration and it will take place in October - December 2020 for the fourth time. The forum has a theme Ecosystems of the Invisible. Relevant Nordic practices from Sami artists and Nordic curators translated into Russian and set into a dialogical context will contribute to learning more about sustainability and create social links which can last after the event.

The Arctic is a vulnerable region where climate change and industrial pollution become more visible in the everyday context. That is why the project aims to create a meeting place for the dialogue between local artists, artisans and international experts and contribute to the exchange of the academic and the tacit knowledge, to bring attention to the topic of the ecosystems and the invisible/social design in the Arctic, and to promote arts and creative economy as an alternative to the resource-based economy.

The content of the project includes exhibitions, screening and workshops, and the possibilities for the dialogue are central in the production of the event. It includes the best Nordic practices which can empower Northern Russian cultural workers for new, sustainable creative production in the situation of the epistemic, economic and political violence in the Euro-Arctic Russia. At the moment, the theme of ecology, conscious consumption and collaborative practices are essential.

The project brings Nordic experts in various fields (arts, design, architecture, dance, performance, media art) together for discussing possible scenarios of sustainable future in the Arctic region. Combining online and offline events will let us keep a balance to keep audiences interested as well as will make the Forum content available and accessible for wider publics who will be able to participate in Forum events online. This approach will let us overcome closed borders and disruption in travel due to the pandemic and broaden the audiences by connecting with universities, cultural institutions, and creative industries on a global level.