Diamond People
October 22–30, 2016
Sara Jordenös latest film Kiki, which portrays the ballroom subculture by LGBTQ people of colour in New York City, has in the last months received praise around the world. Now, the artist has returned to document her hometown of Robertsfors in the north of Sweden, a community where life changed for everyone when the synthetic diamond factory suddenly closed down. Diamond People premieres on October 22.
In the new art work—Diamond People—Jordenö documents the closing of the diamond factory and what that means for the people in Robertsfors. However different the setting is from the streets of Harlem in Kiki, the approach is the same—to come close to people and to tell the story of their own experiences from an important period of transition.
Robertsfors is a typical Swedish factory town: the industry came first, then a planned community was built around it to ensure the existence of a workforce. This established a strong symbiosis between the industry and the community that lasted for decades. Without a large employer in the area, the society and its various functions are now at risk for disappearing. What happens to people when the economic and social engine of their community is taken away?
Sara Jordenö has a remarkable talent in grasping the emotions and concerns in the everyday. For over a decade, she has returned to Robertsfors and the relationship between the town and the factory. In this her most recent work she explores how the local community responds to the fate of their town being decided by a multinational company as part of a global economic puzzle and the prospect of finding their way on an entirely transformed and post-industrial job market.
Premiere in Robertsfors, October 22
On Saturday, October 22, Diamond People will premiere in Robertsfors, in Västerbotten in the north of Sweden—the same town where it has been filmed. The premiere will be followed by screenings in Boliden, Holmsund, and Skelleftehamn in the same region. In conjunction with the screenings, Sara Jordenö along with people from the film as well as the audience will engage in a conversation to share personal experiences of recent social and economic changes and place them within a larger context.
Evening conversation and screening in Stockholm, October 26
A public discussion about social issues in the wake of an industrial society in a time of change, as well as questions of identity, safety nets, and responsibility. The discussion will be followed by a screening of Diamond People. It all takes place at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, and is a collaboration between Public Art Agency Sweden and Kulturhuset Stadsteatern.
Diamond People will also be shown daily from October 31 until November 6 at 12:30pm at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern.
The screenings and conversations will be in Swedish.
Diamond People is the third part the curatorial series ”Industrial Society in Transition” curated by Lisa Rosendahl for the Public Art Agency Sweden. Earlier works in the series were created by artists Alexandra Pirici and Annika Eriksson and have been exhibited in Gothenburg, Grängesberg, Stockholm, and Malmö.
About Sara Jordenö
Artist and documentary filmmaker Sara Jordenö works with film and site-specific projects. She was recently named one of “10 Women Filmmakers to Watch” by Variety Magazine and European Film Promotion (EFP). Documentary film Kiki premiered at Sundance International Film Festival and has since been shown in 17 countries. Jordenö has been awarded many prizes for Kiki, among them the Teddy Award for Best Documentary at the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Her earlier projects have been exhibited at such institutions as Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Bildmuseet in Umeå, and MoMA PS1 and The Kitchen in New York City.
Public Art Agency Sweden is a governmental agency that explores and develops the relationship between contemporary art and public space. Through site-specific installations, temporary interventions, urban development projects, discussions, and publications, the agency aims to contribute meaningfully to the development of the fields of contemporary art and the public realm. More information on our website.
