Thoughts on Invandr.art.e

Talks event not to miss in Stockholm October 11, 2025, 3.30 - 6.30 PM

Studios 10 and 11, SKH. Brinellvägen 58, Stockholm (KTH campus)

Rossana Mercado-Rojas & Saraí Álvarez Riveros. Photo: José Figueroa

I met Rossana Mercado-Rojas for the first time at IASPIS in Stockholm, at the height of the pandemic in 2020, during what was a short and unusual residency for C-print (in fact, the only one we’ve ever done!). Later, we actually got to work together in the capacity of artist and curator, on BAS Konsthall’s inaugural exhibition Gunnel & Anita, which presented her side by side with artist Valeria Montti Colque.

It was a wonderfully creative experience for me as a curator, and the exhibition set a clear precedent for what it can mean to work collectively as artists — artists sharing the stage with each other and involving their wider artistic community in working toward the finish line. That’s also when I met Saraí Álvarez Riveros, Rossana’s friend and fellow artist, who was deeply involved in our process. Later, I learned more about Saraí’s own textile practice and her experiences studying textile art at art school in Stockholm.

As often happens in the ebb and flow of the art world, you sometimes fall out of touch with peers and past collaborators, only to reconnect as if no time has passed. In recent years, I’ve seen Saraí’s work thrive in exhibition contexts, gaining well-deserved recognition. When I learned about this talk event happening on Saturday, I realized it was time to touch base again. I know both artists have potent insights to share — lessons learned over time as practicing artists in Stockholm. Reading the event synopsis, it’s evident to me that this will be a valuable space for reflection — one that likely sheds light on where policy and action still fail to align in our local art scenes in Stockholm and Sweden.

I ask Rossana ahead of the event what “rude awakenings” continue to be had.

“It surprises me, the lack of dialogue and perspective about the direct material consequences of colonialism and racist, anti-immigrant legislation on artistic practice and basic human conditions, such as parenting or community care. This affects, of course, most strongly those going through endless migration processes, but it also deeply impacts the overall quality and depth of critical thinking and artistic/cultural practices,” she says.

She continues:

“It’s like living in a parallel universe. Even though concepts like community, care, and even decoloniality have become trendy in art talk, I don’t see much effort to follow through on those concepts as active practice. That takes depth, reflection, work — and, of course, sometimes discomfort.”

About the event:

Invandr.art.e, l’art e moldeado por las rutas de subsistencia que persisten en existir.

Invandrare art/e

Art created and crafted by invandrare.

We are reclaiming this word—like other terms once used to depreciate—as a self-asserted positionality. In a context where colonial and racist legislation has co-produced the concept of Crimmigration, we use this platform to share some of our processes of artistic exploration and research, both theoretical and practical.

We also seek to assert the specificity of this term in relation to living within a parallel reality—one marked by conditions distinct from those of “citizens,” within a legal and institutional framework that shapes and constrains our lives.

Our work is deeply informed by our experiences as immigrant, racialized mothers raising racialized children in Sweden and across Europe—amid the rise of fascist legislation targeting immigrants. Here we share some of the processes we have developed over the past years, from when we first met in 2020 until today: murals, happenings, parties, networks, working “for others,” and more.

Encuentro / Sharing of Artistic and Common Processes with Saraí Álvarez Riveros & Rossana Mercado-Rojas

The afternoon will include open dialogues, talks, installations, and audiovisual material, with plenty of space for conversation. Since we want to move across our different manageable languages, there will be moments of experimental visual translation and personal conversation. A space for emotions, intensity, and dialogue: love/hatred, memory, and resilience in a world of lagom. Emociones y amor/odio intenso en un mundo lagom.

Languages: English & Swedish, with possibilities for Spanish.

Some topics:

- Reflections on the instrumentalization of women’s (immigrant) labor and the textile industry in Sweden. Saraí will share history through storytelling, poems, and images.

- Criminalization of migration, archives. Rossana will share a sound collage and text (audio in English, presentation in Swedish/Spanish).

Questions and registration in Spanish: sarai.alvarez.riveros@gmail.com

Questions and registration in English and Peruvian: rossanamercado@gmail.com

About the artists: Rossana Mercado-Rojas: Artist, and cultural/ worker of the Spirit*. Immigrant single mother of Andean descent, born in Perú, now based in Stockholm .http://www.rossanaconda.com

Saraí Álvarez Riveros: Single mother of four, migrant, textile artist, tailor, and handweaver. Born and raised in the outskirts of Santiago de Chile. Based in Stockholm. Performance and live workshop educator. https://saraialvarezriveros.com/