BACKGROUND – performance art and the contemporary arts scene

The last decades have witnessed a significant interest in performance art as an increasingly relevant and independent art form, which is continually renewing itself as a critical, cross-cutting and highly contemporary genre.

Due to its pioneering and often interdisciplinary nature, performance art often stands in the shadow of related and more structured artistic disciplines when it comes to funding, educational opportunities and communication.

Performance art draws on avantgarde traditions from the 20th century but also on indigenous and rooted cultural practices and often explores new formats generated by current socio-political contexts.

Performance art is a fluid art form situated between the scenic traditions of theatre and dance and the visual arts, but also prevalent in contemporary music, literature, media and architecture.

Performance art is traditionally associated with individual artistic actions, walks and performances and increasingly larger scale, complex, staged and immersive formats and/or site specific with public participation.

In the context of PERFORMNORD, we see this open definition as a strength and as something that reflects regional differences in the Nordics. At the same time, we also strongly uphold performance art’s key qualities: artistic authorship, authenticity and integrity, live performative actions in real time, actuality and a dynamic relationship with the site/place and the public.

PROCESS – applications and selection 

Artists have been invited to apply to the open call, which closed on 18 Sept. 2026. PERFORMNORD received a total of 458 applications.

The programme will be compiled by a Nordic panel of 16 experts:

DENMARK Miriam Frandsen, Toaster/ Gry Worre Hallberg, Sisters Hope / Henrik Vestergaard & Ellen Friis, Live ArtDK / Katrien Verwilt, KIT/Metropolis
SWEDEN Elin Lundgren, Lilith Performance Studio/ Petra Huisman, Inkonst / Rebecka Wigh Abrahamsson, Uppsala Konstmuseum
FINLAND Jonna Strandberg, Kiasma/ Leena Kela, New Performance Turku Biennale/ Tero Nauha, Uniarts/ Arvid van der Rijt, FRAME
NORWAY Anette Friedrich Johannessen, Performance Art Bergen/ Geir Haraldseth, Nasjonalmuseet Oslo
ICELAND Cecilie C. Ragnheiðardóttir Gaihede / Icelandic Arts Center / Agnes Ársælsdóttir, Gerðarsafn – Kópavogur Art Museum
Chair: Trevor Davies, KIT/Metropolis

The selected artists will be announced in spring 2027.