Crafting Sustainability: Handcraft in Contemporary Art and Cultural Sustainability in the Finnish Lapland

Elina Härkönen, Maria Huhmarniemi and Timo Jokela
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Elina Härkönen: Faculty of Art and Design, University of Lapland, 96300 Rovaniemi, Finland
Maria Huhmarniemi: Faculty of Art and Design, University of Lapland, 96300 Rovaniemi, Finland
Timo Jokela: Faculty of Art and Design, University of Lapland, 96300 Rovaniemi, Finland

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Crafting sustainability is discussed here with respect to the dimensions of handcraft traditions in contemporary art for promoting cultural sustainability in the Scandinavian North. Aspects of decolonization, cultural revitalisation, and intergenerational dialogue form an integral part of the negotiations around the need for cultural survival and renewal for a more sustainable future. These dimensions should also be considered in the development of the current education of art teachers. Learning traditional skills and applying them in contemporary art constitute an influential method when striving for cultural sustainability. This study examines three handcraft-based contemporary art cases through art-based action research conducted in the Finnish and the Swedish Lapland. The results show that handcraft-based contemporary art practices with place-specific intergenerational and intercultural approaches create an open space for dialogue where the values and the perceptions on cultural heritage can be negotiated.

Keywords: sustainable culture; cultural sustainability; art education for sustainability; informal education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:6:p:1907-:d:151210

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