CHART Talks Podcast: Carola Grahn & Maria Svonni

The relation between tradition and contemporary art

Listen back to a conversation between Carola Grahn and Maria Svonni recorded live as part of the Talks Programme at CHART 2026.

For the latest episode of the CHART Talks podcast, we are happy to share a recording of a conversation between the Sámi artist Carola Grahn and Maria Svonni, Founder and Artistic Director of Verdde and Director of Luleåbiennalen. Together, they discuss Grahn’s artistic practice, which spans large-scale installations, sculpture, writing, and performance, often exploring Sámi identity, collective memory, and our relationship with nature.

Starting with Grahn’s recent solo exhibition Drick Drick at Liljevalchs, the conversation goes on to consider how her installations invite the audience to become active participants in the work. Through works including The Snow, Drick Drick, and Luhkietjijhtje nejpieh (Seventeen Knives), they discuss performativity, climate change, consumer culture, and the role of play and humour in addressing serious subjects. They also explore Grahn’s collaborations with Sámi duojárat, the relationship between traditional craft and contemporary art, circular understandings of time, and her plans for a new work inspired by the Sámi bear ceremony.

Listen to full podcast now using the links below:
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts