Southnord, the pioneering platform dedicated to advocating for the expanded field of Afro-Nordic visual art, is proud to celebrate its first anniversary.Since its inception, Southnord has been at the forefront of showcasing diverse voices and facilitating artistic and cultural exchange across the Nordic region.

Lidiya Solomon, a 27-year-old Oslo-based artist, wins the Southnord UP NEXT 2024 open call. This annual event shines the spotlight on emerging Afro-Nordic artists, providing a platform for new voices in contemporary art. The award is a month-long solo exhibition at Southnord's art space in Stockholm.

Southnord collaborates with Fotografiska, activating the Cindy Sherman exhibition with an evening of artist talks and experimental performance on 21 March 2024. Southnord has invited Rise and Shoot, a platform empowering young photographers, to present their work. The evening will be topped off with a fusion of the practices ofartist, musician and composer João Renato Orecchia Zúñigaand artist and performance weaver Marcia Harvey Isaksson.

Southnord proudly announces the release of Afro Nordic Blue, a soundtrack by Swedish vocal artist and composer Sofia Jernberg. Created exclusively for the platform, this composition features Jernberg's innovative vocal techniques, including distortion and rhythmic chants, echoing themes of empowerment and existence.

Southnord Artfest 2023, held in Stockholm between 7 September 2023 and 14 January 2024, marked the first edition of a new triennial. The critically acclaimed main exhibition The Threshold is a Prism brought together 20 contemporary artists. Over 80 cultural practitioners contributed to the extensive programme. Curated by Marcia Harvey Isaksson, the festival aimed to explore and amplify the diverse voices within the African diaspora in the Nordics, examining what it means to be a complex and multifaceted human being.

On 26 October, the Southnord x Kulturhuset art festival will kick off. At its core is the The Threshold is a Prism group exhibition which will feature paintings, sculptures, photography, videos and audio creations from around 20 artists. Throughout Kulturhuset, film showings, workshops, performances, storytelling and conversations will be arranged. The common denominator for all the exhibitors is their African connection and that they all pursue their art in the Nordics. Southnord x Kulturhuset marks the start of an art triennial that will take place in the Nordic capital cities.

Southnord, in collaboration with HOBO Hotel, proudly presents an improvisational performance where jazz, poetry and painting intermingle in a unique fusion. South African-born, Swedish-based painter, poet and musician Lefifi Tladi is in dialogue with South African jazz musician Mzwakhe Hlatshwayo and the Ingoma Project for three promising evenings of jam sessions during the Stockholm Jazz Festival 2023.

Southnord, in collaboration with På Sergels torg, presents DRUM & PAINT an outdoor exhibition that weaves together the lifestories of two jazz artists from different eras, Pete Brown and Lefifi Tladi. They both found refuge in Sweden during challenging times.