//// RESIDENCY
AURA SEIKKULA
// aboutAura Seikkula (1977) is an independent curator and researcher based in Helsinki, Finland. She is a fellow at the National Doctoral Programme for Social and Political Sciences. Seikkula is curatorial advisor for the santralistanbul contemporary art museum and European Economic and Social Committee. She is currently curating ‘Urban Studies’ event series questioning the public space in Shanghai and co-curating ‘On Independence and the Ambivalence of Promise’ seminar and exhibition program for the Centre for Contemporary Art Lagos, Nigeria celebrating a historical milestone of the 50th anniversary of independence from European colonial rule of 17 African countries. Most recently, Seikkula curated the exhibitions, ‘Tense Territories’ for the santralistanbul and ‘Questions of Conflict. Third Party Observations’ for the European Museum for Peace in Austria and co-curated ‘Uncharted. User Frames in Media Arts’ for the santralistanbul and ‘Photography : Now 2009’ biennial for the Centrum för Fotografi, Stockholm. Seikkula is the co-founder and president of SKY Finnish Society for Curators and member of the Piknik Frequency Media Art Organization. Seikkula has published ‘On the Notion of Culture and Identity. A Study of Paul Ricoeur’s Narrative Identity.’ (2008, VDM Verlag) and numerous articles about contemporary cultural/identity politics in art.
// project
During 2009 Signal produced and realised the project A Parallel History – The Independent Art Arenas of Skåne 1968-2008 which consisted of a book, an exhibition and a seminar. The project investigated the mechanisms behind the different independent initiatives and art arenas which have existed in Skåne in the last 40 years. One of the aims of the project was to look upon the parameters and the shifting context which these initiatives have to negotiate to be able to exist. In relation to this project we wanted to invite Aura Seikkula because of her extensive research in the field of cultural politics and different aspects of cultural funding policies. We were interested in having an ongoing dialogue with her around these issues in relation to the realisation of the project, but also for her to use our accumulated knowledge throughout this specific project in her own ongoing research.
