Repetition, circles and weaving characterize this new performance Stáinnarbánit – Wolffish teeth by Borealis’ 2024 guest artist, Elina Waage Mikalsen. Starting from the short and at the same time potentially endless form of luohti (joik), Elina combines electronics, vocals and weaving. She allows short repetitions to tell larger stories, such as the story of rátnu – a weaving tradition once practiced throughout Sápmi. Today, the weaving of rátnu is a living and uninterrupted tradition only in the village of Olmmáivággi, where Elina’s mother is from. The title Stáinnarbánit is also the name of one of the patterns used in this weaving tradition. Elina’s work is a performance of soft and repetitive work, and how all objects speak, if we only listen carefully.

Through her two-year guest artist stay at Borealis, Elina Waage Mikalsen has explored the interplay between Sami history, identity and cultural erasure through experimental sound, music and listening practices. Her project has involved many different voices and perspectives from all over Sápmi and other indigenous communities, and the project has resulted in performances, radio broadcasts, workshops and professional days.

As a Sami artist and musician, Elina’s work often explores the spaces in between – both in history and in the understanding of the world – the voices that are absent or erased, both here and in the underworld. Among other things, her work has been performed and exhibited at the National Museum in Norway, LIAF – Lofoten International Art Festival and the Singapore Biennale. Her audio works are released on Breton Cassette.

Supported by Nordic Culture Contact, Nordic Culture Fund & the Culture Council. Part of New Perspectives for Action – a project by Re-Imagine Europe, part-funded by the European Union.

Commissioned by Borealis (2024).
World premiere: Borealis Festival 2024. Bergen, Norway