North Norwegian Art Centre administers, on behalf of Nordland County Council, the travel grant scheme for visual artists and crafts artists residing in Nordland. The purpose of the scheme is to stimulate further professional development within the various disciplines, and to provide opportunities to gain inspiration from professional environments located far from one’s place of residence. Applicants may seek support for both domestic and international travel.

The jury consisted of Inger Blix Kvammen from the Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts, Northern Norway, and Simen Engen Larsen from the Northern Norwegian Visual Artists. Adriana Alves from Nordnorsk Kunstnersenter served as secretary for the scheme.

The following grants, totalling NOK 199,400, were awarded:

Espen Tversland (Brønnøysund) receives NOK 33,000 for a research and work trip to Belgrade, Serbia. The trip forms part of the project Technology as Grief Work – Brutalist Hauntology Dynamics, an experimental film and installation project exploring brutalist architecture, lost visions of the future, and contemporary experiences of grief and stagnation. The residency in Belgrade will provide a basis for documenting architecture, art, and conversations, and will generate material for further artistic development through drawing, printmaking, artificial intelligence, and audiovisual expressions.

Ina Otzko (Sandnessjøen) receives NOK 33,000 to participate in the Blurborders Performance Art Exchange in Bangkok in August 2026. The stay includes performance exchanges with artists from Thailand, Poland, and Norway within the framework of this year’s theme, Intimate Distance, as well as visits to relevant art institutions and organizations. The purpose of the trip is artistic development, exchange of experience, and network building within performance art, as well as laying the groundwork for further collaboration and international activity.

Mette Paalgard (Kabelvåg) receives NOK 23,000 in travel funding for a two-week professional inspiration and networking trip to the Glass Kingdom in Småland, Sweden. The stay will be based at The Glass Factory in Boda and includes visits to glass studios and glassworks such as Kosta Boda, Bergdala, and Orranäs, as well as museums and galleries in the region. The purpose of the trip is professional development, network building, and idea generation through engagement with a larger glass art community, forming a basis for further artistic development.

Rina Chalott Lindgren (Ramberg) receives NOK 32,000 for an inspiration and study trip to Japan in spring 2026. The stay includes visits to museums and galleries, including the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, as well as a craft center in Kyoto and studio visits with the Japanese sculptor Yusaki Onishi. The purpose of the trip is to gain professional inspiration from Japanese craft traditions and contemporary art, and to collect sketch and documentation material for further artistic development.

Tine Surell Lange (Ramberg) receives NOK 32,000 for a work and networking trip to New York in 2026. The trip aims to follow up on ongoing interest in the artist’s work, including participation in exhibition and performance contexts, as well as further development of collaborations with American and international artists and musicians. The stay includes meetings with collaborators working within sound art, contemporary music, and interdisciplinary practices, and aims to strengthen the artist’s international network and further artistic development.

Trygve Luktvasslimo (Valberg) receives NOK 26,400 for an extended research and work trip along Europe’s eastern borders. The journey will be carried out by car over a period of up to three months and includes travel through border regions in Central and Eastern Europe, from the Ukrainian border through Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, concluding in Bulgaria and Turkey. The purpose of the trip is to collect documentary material, conduct artistic research, and establish contacts with art and cultural communities, forming the basis for further development of an ongoing film and art project addressing themes of borders, movement, and identity.

Vebjørg Hagene Thoe (Stamsund) receives NOK 20,000 for a research and work trip to Tanzania, as well as Germany and Sweden. The trip is connected to the artist’s ongoing work addressing themes of nuclear power, neo-colonialism, and environmental destruction, and forms part of an international collaboration with artists and curators. The stay in Tanzania includes field studies related to planned uranium extraction and nuclear power development, as well as professional exchange at Nafasi Art Centre in Dar es Salaam. The trip also includes meetings with collaborators and professional communities in Germany and Sweden. The purpose of the journey is to gather knowledge and inspiration for further artistic production, and to develop a future international exhibition project.