Lezzie Think Tank - Stockholm

A relay on Queer issues


LTT Stockholm at City Theater, August, 2008, Stockholm, Sweden


In Stockholm during EuroPride 2008 people from St. Petersburg (Russia) and Kharkiv (Ukraine) were especially invited to participate to jointly make the format for - State of Mind Think Tank, and exchange ideas. The session was only 45 minutes as it was obligated to follow the concept of the co-host's sessions at the Pride House/City Theater (Bandler room). The 25 participants in the first LTT came from Sweden, Ukraine, US and Russia. The artists, Annica Karlsson Rixon & Anna Viola Hallberg were the hosts for the session. The space was provided by EuroPride 08/Stockholm Pride and was part of the official PrideHouse Program.

Topics developed and sent to LTT in St Petersburg :
1. What can be the benefit of reaching out to organizations working with human rights issues educating them about LGBTQ situation in St. Petersburg?
2. What makes one feel safe/unsafe in the city (work, public space, etc.)
3. What do we need from a place where we can meet (socially/organizations)? What makes a place good?
4. What can be done to facilitate collaborations between organizations?
5. What can be done to fight social issues?
6. What are the social issues?

::: Documentation photographs from LTT Stockohlm >>>

Stockholm Pride Co-host in Stockholm:
Since the start in 1998, Stockholm Pride has grown into one of Stockholm's largest and most appreciated festivals and the largest Pride celebration in the Nordic region. Every year the festival attracts loads of people from all over Sweden and from many other countries. 2008 Stockholm Pride hosted Europride.“Swedish Sin, Breaking Borders” was the theme for 2008. The focus was set on international LGBT issues and a special focus on Eastern Europe. The pride festival began 25 July and went on through 3 August.

45.000 participants and 450.000 in the audience at the 2008 Pride Parade in Stockholm, Sweden. Despite rain and chilly weather, the streets of Stockholm were filled with music, dancing and cheering when the parade went through the city on Saturday. The festival Stockholm Pride and EuroPride 2008 is arranged by the organization Stockholm Pride, which is a non-profit organization where all work with the festival is done on a non-profit basis. The Stockholm Pride organization has about 200 members, some of which are companies and organizations. The members decide on the association's and the festival's future at the annual meeting.

::: LTT Stockholm, on the Official Pride webpage >>>
LTT Path
::: Berkeley, CA, US, 2011 (TBD)
::: Minsk, Belarus, 2010
::: Kiev, Ukriane, 2009
::: Kharkiv, Ukraine, 2009
::: Gothenburg, Sweden, 2008
::: St Petersburg, Russia, 2008
::: Stockholm, Sweden, 2008


LTT Aims
::: Increased awareness of human rights
::: Development of female leadership
::: Development of a politically and socially active community
::: Development of an understanding of queer activism, theory and lifestyle



State of Mind exhibited at
Y Gallery for Contemporary Art, Minsk, Belarus, March 2010
The Kharkov Municipal Art Gallery, Kharkiv, Ukraine, July-August 2009
Art Arsenal/Gogol Fest 09, Kiev, Ukraine, September 2009
Gothenburg Art Museum, Sweden September-November 2008
ROSPHOTO, St Petersburg, Russia, September-October 2008
Kulturhuset Stockholm, Sweden, July-August 2008



State of Mind and the artists
State of Mind is an art installation by Annica Karlsson Rixon and Anna Viola Hallberg exploring the boundaries between ethics, legislation, prejudice and civic expectations in the LGBTQ life of Russia focusing on lesbians and bisexual women. It discusses subjects such as shortcomings vs. possibilities, belonging vs. alienation, appointed- vs. selected identity.

Annica Karlsson Rixon and Anna Viola Hallberg are visual artists with a strong engagement for the social issues such as gender, class and sexuality. They are working on an installation trilogy Resonance, State of Mind and Code of Silence dealing with socially and culturally constructed identity-based groups in contemporary society.



Essay by Annica Karlsson Rixon and Anna Viola Hallberg, (Pdf) >>>
Full exhibition catalog from Gothenburg Art Museum/Monitor
Reviews for State of Mind >>>
Video spot from the mulitmeda magazine 34 >>>









Contact the artists via e-mail: info (at) aview.se


More about the artists
Annica Karlsson Rixon and Anna Viola Hallberg






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AVIEW NOMAD GALLERY
Contact via e-mail: info (at) aviewnomadgallery.com

Works from State of Mind is part of the collections at
Gothenburg Art Museum, Gothenburg Sweden and Stena Foundation, Gothenburg Sweden.