We recently connected with Frida Foberg and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Frida, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The driving force in all my projects is people—to offer a space for reflection. This winter, I curated a show called the Transformation Project. It was a collaboration between organizations within arts education, mental health, and addiction awareness, with the aim of raising awareness about Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and its impact on individuals, families, and communities through the lens of art. The project aimed to cultivate an environment of safety and inclusivity, encouraging individuals and their families affected by SUD to share their experiences through artistic expression. Through an open call, the project brought together a broad range of voices and creative expressions by visual artists, writers, musicians, and performers who showcased their works.

The project played a crucial role in building supportive communities that transcend age, values, and beliefs. It provided a safe space for expression and shed light on the hardships faced, along with the shame and stigma often felt by those affected by the disease of addiction. The collaboration between the organizations offered a unique opportunity to bridge communities, bringing together individuals and families affected by SUD and those who wish to be allies.

The bravery and beauty in everyone coming together to share their personal stories, which opened up for the audience to reflect on theirs, was by far the most meaningful project I have ever done. Everyone deserves to be seen; everyone’s story deserves to be told.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in Sweden, earned a master’s degree in Architecture from the Aarhus School of Architecture, and have been living in New York since 2013. The reason I got into architecture was my curiosity about human interactions. I was drawn to creating spaces for people to meet, to be in proximity to each other, and I wanted to do it without capitalism being the driving force. Eventually, this led me to build temporary structures and situations, transforming my architecture into interactive art installations and community-engaging projects.

There are recurring themes in my projects—people, spaces and food. My curiosity about human interaction not only remains; it has been heightened. Everyone has their own complex collections of filters, accumulated from their lived experiences. Some, if not most, of these filters are passed down through generations, shared within a community or culture. These often contribute to prejudice, creating barriers and separations between communities. I have been fortunate to work with people actively breaking down these barriers, inspiring me to incorporate this ethos into my own practice. I strive to find common ground to work around, which is why food is often the focus. By creating situations for people to come together and share a meal, to have a moment with themselves, or push their boundaries around norms and customs, it’s an invitation for self-reflection, provoking awareness about how we interact with ourselves, with others, and with our context.

My curatorial work also revolves around human interaction, creating situations for voices to come together. I collaborate with non-profits, individuals, organizations, and institutions, developing art programs, murals, exhibitions, installations, and performances. This frequently entails working with youth, empowering them to assume leadership roles and make decisions. Additionally, I collaborate with marginalized populations, providing them with space to explore their voices and share their stories. I excel at what I do because I genuinely care—about the projects and the people. I thrive in working with communities and developing projects together, driven by a sincere passion for making a positive impact.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

In 2020, I had poured my heart and soul into running an arts organization for over five years. My entire life—home, job, and social circles—had become entwined in the same situation, and I was completely burned out. I believed that by doing a good job and ensuring everyone else was content, I could prioritize myself later. Throughout my life, I had consistently placed others’ needs before my own. I eventually left the job and spent the next seven months traveling around the country, granting myself the time and space to reconnect with myself.

As cliché as it may sound, the epiphany that “if I’m not there for myself, I cannot be there for others” is what saved me. I used to perceive prioritizing my own needs as selfish. While creating works to provide space for others, I found myself minimizing my own presence to take up as little space as possible. I’ll be honest; I am still working on unlearning this.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Grants! I have been fortunate to gain knowledge about grants through years of non-profit work. These days, this is the source the secures funding for all my community-oriented projects.

This resource is especially helpful when creating works that aren’t for sale—works that provide a temporary experience for individuals present at the moment, whether it’s through a workshop, an installation, or a mural. If you are an artist with ideas for community-driven works, reach out to non-profits that share your values to collaborate and secure funding to bring your ideas to life. While there are plenty of grants that go directly to the artist, in my experience, for community-oriented works, having a fiscal sponsor opens up many more funding options.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fridafoberg.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fridafoberg
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/frida-foberg

Image Credits
Profile Photo: Melike Ahsen Beleli Community Workshop: Melike Ahsen Beleli Mural Painting: Melike Ahsen Beleli Solitude Dining: Argenis Apolinario