Ramona Salo Myrseth
Photo by: Ramona Salo Myrseth
As part of residents recommend, I would like to share some recommendations in music, art, fashion and food. Each day I listen to all kinds of music, from 90’s r&b to punk, but I also think there is a lot of good Sámi music available now, with many exciting musicians. I am a big fan of Kajsa Balto and have had the honour of working with her in stage productions and been lucky to experience her live performances. She was one of the headliners at the Riddu Riddu Festival in Manndalen, where I come from. Riddu Riddu Festival is a great place to experience indigenous art, music and culture from around the world, and it is a good place to spot trends, especially in Sámi fashion.
I am also listening to Marja Mortensson and think that everything she, Daniel Herskedal and Jakop Janssønn create turns to gold. I really enjoy listening to Jakop Janssønn's album Bricoleur when I work. Folk musician, fiddle player and composer Julie Alapnes has opened my ears to northern Norwegian folk music, and her music is often something I listen to when weaving. Outside of Sápmi and Norwegian music, I really appreciate the musician Björk. The atmosphere she creates through her communication with music, landscape, fashion and performance art inspires me a lot. But I like all kinds of music, especially music I can dance to and the Swedish musician Robyn has been an inspiration to me since I was a child.
Art is of course an important part of my life. It is impossible for me not to mention Nils-Aslak Valkeapää / Áillohas, who was an Sámi multi-artisan. He was a humble, yet powerful voice in Sápmi, ahead of his time and an important guide for those who came after him. His poetry inspires me a lot, and I find much of myself in them. Another artist I would like to mention is Carola Grahn, from the Swedish side of Sápmi. I experienced Carola's exhibition I Have Scrutinized Every Stone and Log on the Southwest Side of the Mountain at Röda Sten Konsthall in Gothenburg and it made a lasting impression. Actually there are so many great artists in every corner of Sápmi that it would take me all day to mention everyone that I think deserves to be mentioned.
As a clothing designer, I think it is a must to mention some fashion. If you think that fashion is something horrible and superficial that totally destroys the planet (very often that is the case), maybe you have not researched the depth of it yet. I will limit myself and just mention three designers that made an ever lasting impact and made me dive into this profession: Cristóbal Balenciaga, Hussein Chalayan and Rei Kawakubo.
I also find inspiration from fashion photography, I really love the Helmut Newton exhibition Helmut Newton’s Private Property at the Museum of Photography, Berlin.
When it comes to food, I want to support my colleague Katarina Skår Lisa's recommendation for Nuga Sushi in Longyearbyen. Great service, atmosphere and very good ramen. We were here as often as we could!
For homemade dinners, I enjoy smoked reindeer meat and most of the fish from the fjord, with homemade lingonberry jam - this is my favourite kind of food. For dessert, anything with cloudberries is preferable. Everyone who knows me has probably experienced that I'm a coffee junkie. I have worked as a barista, but I am not so picky about what kind of coffee to drink, as long as I have coffee everyday. And it’s quite a few cups a day. I drink filter coffee, espresso and bonfire coffee (if appropriate). The best I can get is the coffee from Supreme Roastworks in Oslo, but also Kaffe Kiin in Nordreisa has very good coffee!
I think a splash of whole milk goes well, whether it’s a filter coffee or latte. So make sure you have plenty of coffee so that you have fuel for long days! That is my best recommendation - drink coffee, lots of it, anytime and any day. There is never a wrong time for coffee.
Finally, because I like to travel so much (a little bit less these days), I want my last recommendation to be that every traveller out there be mindful of what you choose to take home as souvenirs. In Sápmi our craft is called duodji, which basically means that something is made. That traditional craft is good quality. If you travel to Sápmi or somewhere else, please try to buy locally made souvenirs. This is a good way to preserve the culture and support local artisans. There is a lot of beautiful handmade duodji in Sápmi, just come and see for yourself!
But buy the real deal!
To end I would like to recommend one of my favourite poems by Nils-Aslak Valkeapää, Madrid 1981 translated by Lars Nordsöm and Harald Gaski.
Ramona Salo Myrseth was nominated for a residency at Artica in August 2021, by our key partner the Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) alongside her collaborative partner Katarina Skår Lisa. You can read more about the duo here.