We, who have decided to call ourselves the Provincialists, met for the first time in October, 2004, when we stayed together at the Scandinavian Society in Rome (Circolo Scandinavo). That's where we got to know each other, and that's where we hatched the idea of a "Provincialist" project.
The Provincialists are four artists with diverse backgrounds from the Nordic countries of Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden, who have had the privilege to visit the old cultural metropolis of Rome. During long, warm autumn nights on the Society´s porch, we discussed the relationships among our Nordic countries, and our experiences with the different Nordic art and cultural environments. We quickly reached the agreement that although we come from different traditions and artist communities, these communities are all characterized by widespread suspicion of or even aversion to others, nationally as well as internationally!
Despite the increased decentralisation made possible by globalisation, the great metropolises and biennials still set the standard for what is considered good or bad art. It goes without saying that most artists would rather have an exhibition in New York than on the Faroe Islands. At this point we want to reflect upon our role as provincial artists in this new global world perspective.
The Scandinavian Society in Rome was founded on October 7th, 1860, when the Danish, Norwegian and Swedish libraries in Rome decided to merge. Ever since the 18th and 19th centuries, Rome has been a popular target for Nordic artists. Then as well as now it is considered an essential educational voyage to see with your own eyes the architecture, paintings and sculptures that are so famous back home. In July 2006 the Society relocated to the large "Casino di Vigna", across the street from Accademia dei Lincei and next to Villa Farnesina inTrastevere. The house was built for the Farnese family in the 15th century and is said to have been rented by Queen Christina of Sweden in the 17th century. This relocation marks the beginning of a new era for the Scandinavian Society as a cultural centre.
At the time of the establishment of the Scandinavian Society, during the heyday of Rome's cultural and artistic influence, Copenhagen was the cultural nexus of the Nordic countries. Is there such a centre of Nordic culture today? Back when there was a clearly defined centre, everything outside of it was designated a "province". The term "provincial" generally carries negative connotations, describing something substandard, perhaps narrow minded, unsophisticated and naive. Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands share a history of Danish rule, and the Faroe Islands are to some extent still in this situation, underscoring the importance of building a national identity. Is it possible that this search for an identity creates an inferiority complex, a fear of "provincialism", and hence strengthens the "Jante Law" in these countries?
Our conversations and discussions in Rome made us want to take a closer look at Nordic provincialism. We have therefore invited specialists in different subject areas to address these issues in a seminar in collaboration with the University of the Faroe Islands to accompany the exhibition, and their essays are included in this catalogue.
This is not a curated exhibition, where the works communicate with each other. Instead, the art works reflect a meeting between different artistic practices, across different disciplines.
- The Provincialists