LB27: New Edition, New Format

The idea for the 2027 edition of the biennial was born from our will to grow even closer to our local art scene. Descriptions of what is happening in Sábme and Norrbotten today are often marked by darkness, filled with stories of exploitation, racism and colonialism, making it impossible not to lose hope from time to time. But, to those of us who live here, it also raises the question of when our region ceased to be the warm, fun and wonderful place we know it to be. Not the exoticising things, which often lack the precision of initiated awareness, but the joy shared over a first cup of morning coffee at the office, or when the tractor driver casually and without thought helps mowing the newly fallen snow from your driveway. During the 2027 edition of Luleåbiennalen we want to work with the joy of the mundane, and celebrate the cultural richness of our local surroundings. All the the things which, in a region otherwise described as polarised and full of conflict, bring us together in everyday life.

The biennial will also take shape from our growing interest in exploring the borders of the biennial format.

“Since Konstfrämjandet Norrbotten took over the management of Luleåbiennalen, we have reflected on the role of the biennial in our contemporary art scene. We want to anchor the contents of the biennial firmly in the local community, and among other things this means extending the biennial in time. This will give us the possibility to work collectively with artists, collaborators and our audience.”

The main exhibition period for the upcoming edition of the biennial takes place 5 March–30 May 2027, but audiences will be able to attend public activities even before that. Starting in the latter half of 2025, the biennial will present a series of public gatherings, These are organised both on site in Norrbotten and digitally and aim to encourage dialogue between the biennial’s participants and the local community. The gatherings will serve as forums for meetings and discussions on local issues, and to the biennial’s participating artists they will be a key factor in learning about specific contexts.

The contents of the biennial will be developed in dialogue between the biennial’s artists, partners and the local scene. What can, or should, a contemporary art biennial be, right here and now? Our ambition is to listen and learn together in order to create a biennial which reflects local conditions.

“Before the first biennial editions, in the 90s, it was rare to see international contemporary art in Norrbotten. It’s important to provide space for international perspectives and art biennials are unique in the way they convey and problematise ongoing societal developments. It is especially important that we, in this region, have a large international biennial as this brings in new perspectives and can spark questions about our current realities, in the face of regional transformations”

The biennial’s public activities will take place across the latter half of 2025, throughout 2026 and culminate with the main exhibition period in spring 2027. Exhibitions and activities will then be presented in among other locations Konsthallen Kulturens hus (Luleå Municipality’s dedicated space for contemporary art), the artist-run space Galleri Syster in Luleå, Havremagasinet contemporary art space in Boden, as well as in public spaces and additional partners yet to be announced.

We look forward to sharing our continued work as well as the names of the first few invited artists very soon.

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