Language Power

Karin Keisu and Josse Thuresson participate in Luleåbiennalen 2022 with their work Back 2 Back, which originates from their own experiences of two specific languages: Swedish Sign Language and Meänkieli - both languages which have historically been deemed not worthy of existance in the development of modern Sweden. Sign language was banned for use within the Swedish education system in 1880 and students urged to instead go through speech therapy and learn to read lips. In the North Bothnian working cottages, where children from less fortunate families where taught between 1903-1954, it was prohibited to speak Meänkieli. This was a part of the Swedish Nation State's process of "swedification", meant to contribute to the shaping of the country's future citizens.

Karin Keisu, from Tornedalen, and Josse Thuresson are based in Stockholm and have been working as an artistic duo since 2018. Their practice includes text, video, performance, installation and sculpture, and centres around language politics, queer time and the strength that can be gained by existing in the margins.

Organised by KUBN – Kultur för Unga och Barn i Norrbotten (Culture for Youths and Children in North Bothnia)
Luleåbiennalen 2022 collaborates with KUBN in relation to the Learning Room. They are a membership organisation for cultural pedagogues and creators in North Bothnia working in the fields of art, dance and crafts. The goals of the organisation are to make culture and recreational activities accessible to children and youths as well as to collaborate with established cultural agents in the region. KUBN hosts a wide operation with workshops, seminars, shorter and longer research projects as well as network dissemination. For Luleåbiennalen 2022, KUBN contributes with the project Language Power, taking off from the notion that the languages we use tell of who we are and where we come from. Karin Keisu and Josse Thuresson's workshop series are part of this project.