Växjö, Sweden, 2017

The project, 122 Conversations: Person to Person, Art Beyond Borders was inspired by the Sister City International mission: ‘To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual at a time.’ Over the course of six years, I worked with six Sister Cities, in six different countries, and on four continents. More than 4500 people participated in various initiatives of the project. 122 Conversations included six exhibitions, multiple community engagement events, nearly 1000 works of art, a critical and urgent pedagogy, and a beautiful project catalogue. I was fortunate enough to participate as an artist-in-residence in five of the six sites.

During my residency in Sweden I worked together with PHD Allison Aune. We worked with school groups of all ages,  including Swedish as a second language students and newly arrived refugees from many countries. We employed the 122 Conversations engagements pedagogy. The aim of my pedagogy is to focus on seeing one another, as well as understanding the uniqueness and differences between us in relation to identity, geography, community, andculture through art. In Sweden, we worked alongside other art educators,with students, the public, and new immigrant groups, including refugees who had been in the country for only five days. 122 Conversations literally opened up the gallery for a new audience. 

We had 20 school groups and held a family day with more than 300 people. I received this note from Filippa de Vos, Director of the Växjö Konsthall. “Every time we use the gallery space for both reflections and physical activity I realize how knowledge is connected with body and mind. Also, 122 Conversations opened up for, if not global understandings, a common language through Anne’s painted conversations and the additive work the audience made through the journey of the whole exhibition. It’s great to see how an exhibition really grows over time by adding educational questions and methods to it.” For me Växjö was a deep and profound experience.