AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry
AREFS art and culture association



  • Savon Radan ryhmä organizes activities along the historical Savo line






RURAL CROSSROADS

blue zone: NORDIC-BALTIC region, green zone: Central Europe, orange zone: Mediterranean region
red: locations Sweden, Finland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey
blue lines: Nordic artists to Central Europe and Mediterranean region
black lines: artists from Central Europe and Mediterranean region to Nordic region

APPLICANT

AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry

AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry -art and culture association - registered number 199129- Haukivuori - FINLAND
Haukivuori is located near Saksalanharju, an ancient settlement on the biggest monolith of Europe, which already has been a crossroads of old. The association organizes art and culture projects, events and activities whereby for each project an appropriate organizational form is determined. The audiences AREFS is focused on are local society, artists, education, visitors. The not for profit association is an important contributor to the cultural development of the rural village Haukivuori. Their initiatives are future oriented culture, art and education programs which activate the spirit of the society. These programs contribute to the self awareness of the local rural community.
AREFS organizes art and culture projects, events and activities in the village of Haukivuori. the association supports local artist-in-residence and art education programs in local schools. The audiences AREFS is focused on are local society like youth, artists, education, visitors.

résumé AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry
founded 2008
the association has a board and members
operating in the field of art, art education, culture, nature, heritage
the association cooperates with Mikkeli Art Museum, art centre Saksala ArtRadius, Haukivuoren Tapahtumaydistys ry, Etelä-Savon Taidetoimikunta,

activities:
annual TAIDEKIRPPUJEN YÖ (art fair),
annual HAUKIVUORI MUISTOISSAMME (history of Haukivuori)
art workshops children of local schools,
international art and cultural exchange projects,
developing RURAL ART VILLAGE SAKSALANHARJU
developing VIA.ARS.NATURA the way to art and nature,
supporting artist-in-residence program Haukivuori

website AREFS taide ja kulttuuriry
 


ASSOCIATES

NORDIC- BALTIC REGION

Emma Ricklunds stiftelse RICKLUNDGÅRDEN - Saxnäs - SWEDEN

Saxnäs is located in southern Lapland. It is the crossroads where two cultures meet: the indigenous Lapps and the settlers. This is the place where mythology and folklore mix; it is where many artists, such as Asger Jorn, have sought and found their inspiration and energy.
For many years, artists have been fascinated by the beauty of the mountains with their evasive dance of shadows and alternating hues. Many are they who have tried to catch the challenge of the mountain landscape; others have spent their time trying to interpret the meaning of the bogs and the secrets they hold. There is a legacy here that will continue to fascinate and inspire.
The art collection at Ricklundgården is proof of an exciting epoch that left behind it a cultural heritage in the small mountain village of Saxnäs.
Ricklundgården gives opportunity to open the doors.
-to cross-cultural and international joint efforts.
-to join hands in a common cause with mutual goals.
-to get acquainted with the environment and culture in Lapland.
The audience Ricklundgården is focusing on is artists, local community, visitors

résumé Emma Ricklunds stiftelse
the foundation has a board
operating in the field of art, heritage, nature, culture, education

activities:
exhibitions, collection Folke and Emma Ricklund,
artist-in-residence program,
international exchange programs,
cooperation local school

website Emma Ricklunds stiftelse RICKLUNDGÅRDEN

Sølyst Artists in Residence Center – Jyderup - DENMARK

Sølyst was built in 1862 by the aristocrat Jens Henrik Jespersen. The small castle was created in the architectural style of Dutch renaissance, originally used as a hunting lodge; it was later occupied by women’s home, an orphanage and most recently a school.
Sølyst Artist in Residency Centre - SAiR - has been established by VAK - "The Art Workshops of West Zealand". VAK is an important element in the SAiR program because of their experience with artists working in the production of a broad range of mediums. The accommodation and working studios that SAiR offers artists during their residency gives those taking part the enriching opportunity of intercultural dialogue.

résumé Sølyst Artists in Residence Center - association
the association has a board and members
operating in the field of art, culture,
the association cooperates with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, the Art Folk High School in Holbæk, U-turn, Overgaden institute for Contemporary Art, Roskilde University

activities:
artist-in-residence
exhibitions
workshops

website: Sølyst Artists in Residence Center

Pedvāle Association - Sabile - LATVIA
The museum conceptually integrates the artistic and cultural heritage and the natural setting into a unified whole. The requirement for participating artists is that they incorporate their works into the unique settings of the natural environment. Artists working at the museum are encouraged to draw their inspiration from nature and to use local materials. The simple, rustic setting that is available to the artists and visitors is comprised of a small hotel, a restaurant, a conference hall, and picnic areas.

The association “Pedvāle” is founded in 1999 and its aim is to carry out activities in the fields of culture, artistic and cultural heritage protection, realise organisational and educative events to promote creativity. One of the aims is to involve the inhabitants of Sabile town and surrounding region in the cultural processes and cultural heritage protection.

résumé Pedvāle association
founded 1999
the association has a board and members
operating in the field of art, culture, nature, heritage, education
the association cooperates with Open-Air Art Museum at Pedvāle, Sabile Music and Art School, Talsi Regional Museum

activities:
annual sculpture symposium
artist-in-residence program
exhibitions
concerts
seminars
art education programs

website Pedvāle Association


CENTRAL EUROPE

The NETHERLANDS

SART- Stichting Art Twekkelo - TWEKKELO - the NETHERLANDS
SART is a result of the report 'Twekkelo, a vision with prospects' of the VBT (Society for the Preservation of Twekkelo), published in 2005. The latest developments in the countryside gave the people most related serious cause for concern. The main concern is the preservation and maintenance of the landscape and the preservation of cultural and historical values in a changing context. The plan for the future indicates that for long-lasting development of the countryside, sufficient economic potential must be (re)developed to create a serious counterweight against urban expansion. Balance must be found between the urban expansive drive and the importance of preserving the countryside an the rural / ecological values. The project 'Twekkeler Balans' has been established with the intention to turn vision into concrete plans and initiatives. It's a Leader+ project, in which the themes New Activities, Ecology & Landscape, Recreation & Tourism and Cultural Twekkelo are being addressed.
SART is additional and binding in the existing cultural offer in the region with new initiatives that enrich the landscape of art in Twente and that support the artists and designers, connected to SART.

résumé SART foundation
founded 2007
the foundation has a board
operating in the field of art, culture, new technology,
SART foundation cooperates with EuropeanArtists.tv Hällefors Sweden, knowledge organizations like: Akkuh - Center of Contemporary Art, AOC Agricultural Training, Twente Center of Architecture, ArtEZ Academy for Art and Design Enschede (AKI), ATC Enschede Employability Training & Coaching, Saxion Academy, Twence BV, University of Twente, Akzo Nobel, Housing association Domijn

activities:
cultural stage in the 'Johanneskerk' (local, small chapel) in Twekkelo
SARTlab workshop for artists, scientists and entrepreneurs focused on smart materials and new technology
master classes
exhibitions
art events

website SART stichting Twekkelo


MEDITERRANEAN REGION

SPAIN

El Centre d’Art i Natura de Farrera – Farrera - Spain
El Centre d’Art i Natura de Farrera is a work residence for artists and researchers from all over the world.
Despite being the highest village in the Coma de Burg, Farrera’s south-facing position and the opening of its valley towards the west endow it with sunlight favorable to human habitation. Nevertheless, in a normal year the harsh winter is characterized by abundant snowfall and biting temperatures. The first of many written references to Farrera’s existence dates back over 1,000 years, but the original human settlement was undoubtedly founded well before then.

After a constant dwindling of Farrera’s population since the late 19th century, it stabilised about three decades ago at around 20-25 inhabitants. In 2004 the village lost Marçal, the last of the old generation born and bred in our valley, and today’s inhabitants have thus been deprived of a deep source of traditional knowledge. Rearing livestock is the last ancestral activity to survive in the region. One house in Farrera owns a flock of sheep, and farm animals form a part of our landscape.

The natural environment of the high mountains – defined by woods with both conifers and deciduous trees, hay fields, steep pastures and craggy rocks – combines with the authenticity of the cultural, architectural and social heritage to create a unique context for field work, research and study.

résumé El Centre d’Art i Natura de Farrera
founded in 1996
the association has a board and members
operating in the field of art, culture, heritage, artist’s exchange

activities:
artist-in-residence
exchanges
courses and seminars
exhibitions of works from its art collection
publications and original editions
performances and presentations

website El Centre d'Art i Natura de Farrera

TURKEY

BABAYAN CULTURE HOUSE - Ibrahimpasa Köyü - TURKEY
Babayan Culture House is located in the surrealistic landscape of Cappadocia. This landscape with tufa stone valleys is shaped centuries ago by the 'Erciyes' and other volcanoes. A part of this 40.000 square km area is a national park and an open–air museum with many rock churches and monasteries, restored by UNESCO, because it is an official world heritage area.
On the – 1000 meter high – Anatolian Plateau, where the village is located, a severe land climate rules. This gives a dry heat in the summer and a bitter cold in the winter. Despite this, one can live here very well throughout the year, because the thick stones the houses are built with, are cut from volcanic tufa which keeps the climate outside. If a house is not heated, the temperature inside fluctuates during the year between seven and eighteen degrees Celsius. For this reason the region has been inhabited from times immemorial; and because the famous silk route passed by here, the area has a very rich cultural inheritance.

resumé of Babayan Culture House foundation
the foundation has a board
operating in the field of art, culture, artists’ exchange

activities:
artist-in-residence,
exchange projects,
workshops,
courses,
readings,
forums,
discussion-platforms

website Babayan Culture House

 


Information about RURAL CROSSROADS can also be found on the website of RhizEu.

The project is funded by:


 

 

 

©2009 AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry, Finland. All rights reserved.
No reproduction by any means or in any language without prior permission of the author.