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Komtemåtta—A pioneering safe space for women
13 June – 10 August
Petra Bauer, Åsa Elzén, Susanne Ewerlöf, Olivia Plender, Åsa Sonjasdotter, Anders Sunna and Siri Derkert.
In the exhibition Komtemåtta—A pioneering safe space for women, six contemporary artists deep-dive into the groundbreaking educational experiment that was the Citizen School for Women at Fogelstad (1925-1954) and Sami women’s activism from the early 1900s. Founded one hundred years ago by five headstrong women, the Citizen School was open to women from all corners of society to come and practice citizenship. The artworks in the exhibition interact with archival materials from the school, borrowed from the KvinnSam archive at Gothenburg University, as well as a selection of works by artist Siri Derkert, who was a course participant.
The school’s founders were active in the suffrage movement, and two were elected to the Swedish Riksdag in 1921: estate owner and politician Elisabeth Tamm and workplace inspector Kerstin Hesselgren. The other founders were author Elin Wägner, doctor Ada Nilsson, and teacher and school principal Honorine Hermelin.
With innovative pedagogical methods, the Citizen School became a meeting place for radical intellectuals and women from diverse backgrounds.
Courses were designed to educate women in how to navigate their responsibilities as citizens. While there was neither a set learning agenda nor a reading list, the curriculum was extensive.
Alongside lectures about history, politics and reproductive health, the school was ahead of its time in applying methods centered on learning through self-study, and collective experiences like role play, choir singing and discussion clubs. The title of the exhibition, Komtemåtta, refers to the imaginary municipality created by teacher Ebba Holgersson. Komtemåtta was used as a pedagogical tool for participants to test different societal roles and functions.
The exhibition is initiated by Kin Museum of Contemporary Art in Kiruna. Curators are Maria Lind and Hanna Nordell. The exhibition is realized in collaboration with Kin, KvinnSam at the University of Gothenburg Library and the magazine Ord&Bild.
