Artist Presentations - Artist Residency Swap

First swappers chosen for ARS

Author and journalist Michaela von Kügelgen and photographer Julia Knipschildt are the first swappers chosen for the pilot exchange programme of Artist Recidency Swap between Finland and Denmark. In late October and early November the two artists will swap their workspaces and homes with each other for about two weeks. The pilot programme is supported by the Finnish Cultural Institute in Denmark. Read their presentations below.

Michaela von Kügelgen

I’m an author and journalist from Helsinki always looking for a good story. My first novel “Vad heter ångest på spanska?” was published in August 2017 by Förlaget M. My second novel “Nationen” will be published in the spring 2020. Both books are about young people trying to figure their lives out. My style of writing is fast paced and I hopefully make the reader laugh – or to identify herself with the themes and characters.

Alongside writing books I work as a freelance writer and translator. I also write a blog in Swedish about writing – and life in general. You can find the blog on www.michaela.fi.

I love to travel to new places to write, so the opportunity to do a swap with an artist in Denmark got me really excited. I’m looking forward to waking up early in the mornings while Copenhagen is slowly getting ready for a new day, make myself a cup of tea, do some yoga and then start writing and editing.

Julia Knipschildt 

I’m a Danish based analog photographer with a background in architecture. My approach to photography is explorative with a look for narratives. I’m curious on how we perceive, and this is reflected in my subject matters, which circle around the sensuous perception, changeability and the story of places.  

I often travel to unknown and remote places to find my motives and I find that Finland can give me that opportunity. Therefore a travel to Finland has been on my ‘to do before I die’-list for a long time. So when I was introduced to ARS by a friend Sofie from Monday Studio, I wasn´t in doubt: the Finnish landscape, the architecture and the long Finnish tradition for photography can only be an inspiration which I can take with me in my future work. 

You can find the artist’s homepage on http://juliaknipschildt.dk/.

ARS, run by curator Anni Fahler and artist Timo Wright, is a residency platform and community, where artists can swap both their work space and home with each other. The swap can be 2-4 weeks long, which is agreed upon between the two swappers. ARS’ background is in the art gallery called Unknown Cargo that aims to bring forth more financial equality and fairness to the art world. Likewise, ARS wants to offer all artists the chance to take part in the residency programme regardless of their age, gender, social class or position in the art world. The Finnish Cultural Institute in Denmark has teamed up with ARS to help to launch the programme in Denmark. For more information visit ARS’ homepage: www.artistresidencyswap.com/.