January
The Mapping Praxis project proceeded into 2025, with the maps of Robertho and Frank finally completed. Since I had got an invitation for a “special issue” of an art journal, time was also spent finishing an article on mapping – collecting reflections that had come to me through the mapping project.
February
The journal that issued the invitation turned out not to be quite the high-standard scientific publication that it claimed to be. In the end, I decided to withdraw the article – already completed – instead taking to the more rewarding work of beginning another itinerary… This one, again, presented me with new challenges. The story of my partner in dialogue – “I” – was layered in ways that the preceding ones weren’t; I chose to add an underlying lining, visible only in certain places; and to insert “zoom-in” spots, using the sketchwork that “I” had provided me with during our first conversation. It took quite a few tries, and some emailing, to make the map resonate with the emotions and conceptualizations of my conversation partner.
And on February 22nd, I had the honour to meet street artist Gamlet Zinkivskyi from Charkiv on one of his sparse visits outside Ukraine – giving an artist talk at the Ukraine Culture Now event.
March
In the beginning of March, the Praxis of Social Imaginaries study circle held its last gathering at Sigtuna Foundation (a renowned cultural centre close to Stockholm). Parallel with reading and discussing Olaus Magnus’ A Description of the Northern Peoples, ideas of how to launch a continued study circle emerged from informal conversations…
On the last day of the gathering, I was approached by fellow participant Titi, wanting to share her story for another embroidered map – a task that I happily welcomed. I also had the opportunity to reconnect with Obinna, and ask him some complementary questions about his itinerary (which was now next in turn for a visualization). This time, the challenge came explicitly from my partner in dialogue: Obinna’s map had to be a three-dimensional one, since his native place is in the mountainous parts of Southeast Nigeria. Recalling the chest-like world model of the 6th century traveler and Christian monk Cosmas Indicopleustes, I immediately began working with it on returning home. The cardboard maquette was made during the partial sun eclipse on March 29th, which sparked the idea of “half a yellow sun” on the gable of the chest… I then hadn’t read the novel with the same title by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. When I later checked this out with Obinna, it actually turned out that he highly approved of it.
April
In April, a six weeks’ teaching commission began, leaving little time for the Mapping Praxis project. As spring flowers came to bloom, I managed to make the vaulted papier-mâché lid of the chest, though.
And to learn to know the folk high school class was – as always – a joy; this type of education very much promotes care, curiosity and collaborative approaches… My presentation on the institutional theory of art (aka the art world theory) was met with immediate and creative response.
May
In mid-May, the teaching commission was finished, and I could go back to the mappings. Now Obinna’s chest was assembled, and a 3D mountain was made to fit inside. I decided to use egg tempera for the painting, and tried out a floral design, borrowed from an African textile and reminding of a hibiscus flower.
As the planning for a continuation of the Praxis circle proceeded, I also attended Researching Imaginaries; an online lecture programme launched by the Centre for Art and the Political Imaginary at HDK-Valand (Gothenburg University) and the Royal Institute of Art (Stockholm). The programme stretched over five days, presenting interfaces between politics and contemporary art explored by artistic researchers from Eastern and Southern Europe as well as the Nordics. I got the feeling that our project actually could add relevant perspectives in this and similar contexts.
June
June is a very busy time in the garden. Nevertheless, the lid of Obinna’s chest got painted, too – in lapis lazuli blue.
July
Traveling to Jyväskylä for the Nordic Summer University Summer session 2025, where our proposal for a new study circle, under the title of Studies in Remoteness, was finally presented. Formed by the working team in Sigtuna in early March, the proposal was approved by the NSU Board, and by the General Assembly of NSU members on July 26th. Along with Dr. Lindsey Drury, I found myself study coordinator for the three coming years.
August
In August, I took a day in Åbo / Turku, to meet again with Obinna, Titi and Dorcus of the Praxis circle. Returning home, I had gathered more information to be visualized as Mapping Praxis itineraries. I could also improve “I’s” itinerary with some tiny animals made out of wood… and also finish my reading of Half a Yellow Sun.
September
The lapis lazuli lid of Obinna’s itinerary somehow called me back to studio painting; in September, I took a couple of weeks off from the Mapping Praxis and spent time with a blue / orange Human Being Image..
October
While the Remoteness team remains the working group where study planning and connected tasks are constantly processed, the executive bits are mainly the coordinators’ work. In October, we published our very first Call for Participation for the 2026 Winter Session – a three days’ symposium set to happen in Berlin in late January.
The last days of October – during the autumn break – I spent in Igelsta primary school, doing maintenance work on Star Roads (the commission I had for in the city of Södertälje in 2018). Still no deliberate damage done to it, but quite some wear and tear. After all, these kids are teenagers!
November
The autumn break stretched into the first days in November, and I worked through the weekend to finish my work before school started again. I unexpectedly found myself sharing the space with several dozens of young basket players – it turned out, that Södertälje proudly hosted an annual basket cup finale, and Igelsta was one of the venues. We went along well, and I accomplished my task in time (more or less).
Sadly, one of these days a young person was killed nearby the school . No basket player, certainly, but a former student at Igelsta school – one of the kids that may have been sitting in the space that I now renovated. On the short walk from the school to the train station, I passed a place where candles were lit for him. I stayed a while, sharing the moment with some of his friends. May peace be upon his memory, and may no more kids have to suffer his fate.
December
I had three short-term commissions for the folk high school this autumn – the last one being an introduction to lino cutting. I took this as an occasion to refresh my experience in lino print, and realized that this technique could be useful for the making of Titi’s itinerary. As for Obinna’s map, I now had to look into the Nsibidi scripture, which I knew nothing about before…
Helena Hildur W. 