Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum–Nominated Artists Announced for Artica Svalbard 2026
Artica Svalbard and Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum (NNKM) are pleased to announce the artists nominated for Artica Svalbard’s residency programme in 2026: Apichaya (Piya) Wanthiang and Nora Adwan. During their stays in Longyearbyen, both artists will develop new work that responds to Svalbard’s environment and community, with time, space, and support to research, test, and share ideas.
Apichaya (Piya) Wanthiang
TH/BE, based in Oslo — Wanthiang holds a BA from Sint-Lukas (Brussels) and an MA in Fine Art from KHiB (Bergen). Working primarily with painting and installation—often incorporating light, sound, and text—she constructs environments that engage the body’s senses and somatic knowledge, counterbalancing the primacy of vision and cognition. Wanthiang has exhibited widely in Norway, including solo exhibitions at the Munch Museum (Oslo), Kristiansand Kunsthall, and Storage (Bangkok). She has taught at Trondheim Academy of Fine Art and KMD, Bergen, and served on the boards of LNM (the Norwegian Painters’ Association) and UKS (The Young Artists’ Society).
At Artica Svalbard, Wanthiang will investigate changing light conditions and their effects on the human body, drawing on lifelong interest in circadian rhythms. Through observation, video, photography, and writing, she will trace local practices around the presence and absence of light—looking at how community habits, seasonal routines, and weather shape daily life in the Arctic. The residency will include fieldwork, studio exploration, and opportunities to share process with residents.
Nora Adwan
IE/PS, based in Bergen — Adwan’s practice asks how identity, memory, and the body are shaped by life in exile, with a particular focus on female histories and perspectives. Moving between poetry, fiction, and documentary, her works weave together multiple geographies and personal narratives; translation and shifts between languages are often central to the form and meaning of the work.
At Artica Svalbard, Adwan will begin the research phase of an expansive video installation that follows connections across desert landscapes in several countries—mapping relations between terrain, geopolitics, and the body. In Svalbard she will gather sound and video, listen to local stories, and trace human presence and histories in the Arctic desert. The residency will include meetings and workshops that open the process to the community as the project develops.
“Piya Wanthiang and Nora Adwan bring thoughtful, research-driven practices that speak to lived experience, sensory perception, and the politics of place. Their proposals show a sensitivity to Svalbard’s conditions—from seasonal light to layered human histories—and we look forward to seeing how their work unfolds in dialogue with the local community in Svalbard.” — Charis Gullickson, Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum
“We’re excited to welcome Piya and Nora to Longyearbyen in 2026. Their site-responsive approaches align with Artica’s ethos of dialogue and critical exchange, and we look forward to supporting their research and creating opportunities to share process with the local community.”
— Charlotte Hetherington, Director, Artica Svalbard
About the NNKM × Artica collaboration
Through this partnership, Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum and Artica Svalbard support artists whose practices engage critically and sensitively with the High North—providing dedicated time in Longyearbyen, access to local knowledge and landscapes, and opportunities for public dialogue.
Stay tuned to articasvalbard.no and nnkm.no for updates on project development and public activities during the 2026 residencies.