Jane Wallace: curator in-residence

Jane Wallace is a curator, editor and writer based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, where she is the current curator at The Physics Room. Prior to this, she was Curatorial Assistant at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, and worked on the survey exhibition Spring Time is Heart-break: Contemporary Art in Aotearoa (2023).

Her writing has been published in Art News Aotearoa, Bulletin, Circuit Artist Moving Image and Art New Zealand, among others. In 2020 she founded Blue Flower Texts, a bookshop project focused on independent artist publishing, curatorial research and critical theory across art, fashion, and design, which operated until 2025.

Artists in residence 2026

In 2026, artists Bernd Krauß, Mikhail Tolmachev, Rehaf Al Batniji, Simon Ferner, Eleonora Edreva, and Oyjon Khayrullaeva will spend time in Kiruna and Norrbotten conducting research, producing work, and collaborating on upcoming exhibitions and projects at Kin.

Bernd Krauß is developing his solo exhibition at the Art Workshop and will also lead the art camp during the winter break. Mikhail Tolmachev is continuing his work on the multi-year project Borg Mesch: A Photographer in Sápmi during the Colonial Period and is participating in the exhibition The Use of Photography: Borg Mesch, Hans-Olof Utsi, and Mikhail Tolmachev. Rehaf Al Batniji is preparing to participate in a group exhibition and conducting new research during his stay.

Simon Ferner is continuing his long-term work on mining history and the interlinked stories of LKAB in Kiruna, Grängesberg, and LAMCO in Liberia. Eleonora Edreva and Oyjon Khayrullaeva are focusing on local craft and knowledge traditions, with a particular interest in plant dyeing, health, and folk medicine, as part of their contributions to upcoming group exhibitions.

Read more about all the artists in residence at Kin 2026 here.

What Do the Artists-in-Residence at Kin Do?

Since 2023, approximately fifteen artists and curators have participated in residencies at Kin. A residency involves inviting practicing artists to stay in Kiruna for several weeks, and sometimes even months. The participants come from different parts of Sweden and around the world, and their practices engage with issues and developments taking place in Kiruna and the wider Norrbotten region. These may include topics such as Indigenous rights, urban transformation, resource extraction, food production, craft traditions, and trade.
During their time in Kiruna, the artists gain new experiences and perspectives while also contributing their own knowledge and insights. Many return at a later date to present new work at Kin.

In this way, Kin maintains an ongoing dialogue with the wider world and with developments in contemporary art in places such as Auckland, Berlin, Mumbai, London, the Gaza Strip, and Istanbul. At the same time, the artists become ambassadors for both Kin and Kiruna.