Olga Shirokostup: Artist in residence

During her residency in Kiruna, Olga Shirokostup will continue research for the Women in the North project, focusing on artist Agneta Andersson and cultural connections between Kiruna and the Kola Peninsula in the late Soviet and early post-Soviet period. She will also develop research on grassroots cultural networks and cross-border solidarities in the Euro-Arctic North through interviews, archival work, and meetings with local cultural actors.

Olga Shirokostup is a curator, researcher, and educator born on the Kola Peninsula, based in France, and active across the Arctic region. Her practice connects artistic research, archival work, and exhibition-making, with a focus on memory, knowledge production, and cultural narratives in the North of Europe.

She is currently a curator within the European project ARCA (Biocultural Heritage in Arctic Cities as a Potential Resource for Climate Adaptation, 2024–2027). Shirokostup co-curated Arctic Art Forum V (Natural History Museum, Oslo, 2026). Since 2022, she has been a part of the Women in the North project (curated by Maria Lind). Since 2023, she has also curated the Archive of Artistic Life in Zapolyarye (Murmansk Region), supported by the Russian Art Archive Network (RAAN) and Garage Museum.

Between 2021 and 2023, she served as Chief Curator of the Radiance Centre for Contemporary Art (Apatity, Murmansk Region). Previously, she was a Research Course Leader at Garage Academy (HSE University & Garage Museum, 2020–2024) and led the Field Research Programme at Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (2013–2017).
She is a recipient of a Robert Bosch Stiftung grant (2019) and a participant of the Frame Curatorial Exchange Programme (2022).

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.

Image 1: Apatity, Murmansk Region, 1970-1980s. Archival image found online; original source currently unidentified.

Image 2: Agneta Andersson in her studio, discussing her artistic practice, 2025. Photo: Olga Shirokostup.