close-enough

🎨 Art has the power to inspire, but it should be equally accessible to all. Our manifesto for the Swedish art world highlights the lack of diversity and representation, and calls for collective action!

We believe that promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts is an ongoing process, and we're excited to share our findings with you.

We thank for her invaluable input for this!

Follow the link in our bio to read our publication and join the conversation.

Let's work together towards a more inclusive future for the arts!

Manifesto design:

In order to gain a descriptive understanding of the visitors (and non-visitors) of art institutions and exhibitions, we conducted an exploratory survey which received 77 responses. The survey revealed a notable finding that the vast majority of respondents who visited an art museum or an exhibition five or more times in the last year, had a friend, family member, or close acquaintance in the art field.

It is not entirely surprising as the survey was spread through networks, yet it does provide some insight into the nature of frequent exhibition visitors and the importance of social capital in accessing and engaging with the art world. 

Building on this understanding, the research paper by Yul, “Brushing Up on Inclusion: An Exploration of Complex Inequalities within the Swedish Art World,” was produced as a response to the issue of segregation within the Swedish art world. The aim of this research is not only to draw attention to materials that have dealt with similar issues, but also to provide a comprehensive theoretical framework for addressing this problem.

The paper will soon be available in our upcoming publication!

Together with participants from we explored, and intervened with the the sculptures at Marabouparken.

In another workshop led by , we found fun and creative ways to interact with art and brought the sculptures to life and bridged the gap between the school and the park!

Read more about it in our upcoming publication!

Last month we unpacked the complexities of art spaces and institutions through a thought-provoking workshop with the Index Teen Advisory Board at Marabouparken sculpture park ☀️🎨 

Led by Emma Dominguez , we delved into the concept of whiteness and its impact on how we navigate these spaces. With art as our guide, we explored, reflected, and intervened, sparking important conversations along the way 🌳🙌

Check out our website for more on this exciting workshop!

'On Arrival' by Ifra Shariq

'On Arrival' is a reflection, a poem, a verse, where Ifra expresses her experience of navigating the art world, how she feels when she finds herself in these (un)familiar spaces, and the momentary feeling of discomfort on arriving in there.

Especially inspired by Sara Ahmed's essay 'A Phenomenology of Whiteness' and the concept of how the arrival of non-white bodies can create disorientation and disrupt the arrangement of things. However, this disruption does not necessarily lead to a disorientation of whiteness but rather a feeling of discomfort within the arriver.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with the participants after the visit to Moderna Museet. Priyamvada Kamath shared with us her thoughts on her own expectations from a museum visit and art experience.

She raises an important question - what do we take away from our time in an art museum? Shouldn't there be some sort of takeaway, especially if we are paying for entry? While she acknowledges the importance of interacting with art and creating our own experience, she also highlights the need for museums to provide some guidance and context for visitors.

Let's continue this conversation on how we can make art museums more accessible and impactful for all visitors.

A month ago, we invited two people who don’t consider themselves as art enthusiasts to visit and explore the permanent collection exhibition at with us.

What followed was a great discussion, a few venn diagrams (of course!) and fresh insights into the expectations of visitors and ways to mediate a meaningful art experience.

Little did we know that this was only the beginning of a curatorial shift that changed our own approach and expectations from art institutions.

Thanks for sharing your great insights, and , with us!

shares her experience of transitioning from a Swedish language student at a folkhögskola to a curating art student at Stockholm University and how entering the Stockholm art scene impacted her.

She says, "Years later, after I began studying curating art and attending numerous art exhibitions in Stockholm, the way I orient myself and the feelings I experience at art exhibitions changed. I found myself adopting the behaviors and customs of others in these spaces. However, as I continued to practice in the Swedish art world, I came to realize that this adaptation was not a choice, but rather a necessity in an art world that was not designed to accommodate individuals outside the established norm."

The whole text will soon be available in our upcoming publication.

Started as casual discussions between and about our shared anxieties and ideas while navigating the exciting yet confusing world of art ~ has now become a curatorial initiative exploring different ways to make art more accessible!

Our name, close-enough, is a playful nod to the distancing tactics often employed by the art world that keep audiences at bay. We believe that art should be inclusive, not exclusive.

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