Bridging Oceans through Culture, Creativity, and Community
Goosebumps 3–5 times/day, 2 murals, and a shortened distance across the Atlantic.
Earlier this spring, I was invited to a program in France by the French Ministry of Culture. We were a delegation from 14 countries that, for 10 days, visited, experienced, and exchanged insights on working with places and cultures in transformative environments. I came home completely overflowing with inspiration, experience, and enthusiasm to take this further. 14 friends richer.
One of these friends reached out this summer: Miguel Galvão, who lives and works in Brasília, where he runs a fantastic place, Infinu, and is the founder of the creative platform Picnik. It is a place that, in many ways, reminds me of the venue we run with Kollektivet Livet: Stadsgårdsterminalen. Both are music scenes with space for culture and all types of meetings between people, art, and creative industries. Miguel is also a true catalyst who makes things grow while preserving their origins. One of the projects he works with is MOTIM—a festival for artists, artisans, and designers. For their 19th edition, with about 250 exhibitors, they took over the prestigious SESI Lab this November to embark on the largest MOTIM festival to date. For this, MOTIM received government support to explore the exchange Miguel saw possible with us.
Once invited, we had three clear goals: to represent Swedish artists from our network, paint at least one mural, and conduct a public presentation of Kollektivet Livet. Beyond this, we intended to maximize the trip by being as available as possible. We aimed at finding synergies within new businesses and relations, welcoming spontaneous meetings, and gathering inspiration to take home—to continue sharing, influencing, and spreading for the future.
Now that we are home, all goals and sub-goals have been exceeded.
Brief Report:
- Representing Swedish Artists: With a 23 kg suitcase filled with the works of 14 artists, we set up a table that truly stood out at MOTIM. We proudly presented these artists to thousands of people, sold their works, and exchanged contacts for two days straight.
- Painting Murals: It turned into two murals, providing new experiences regarding how the permit processes and artistic approaches differ between our countries.
- Presentation of Kollektivet Livet: This resulted in an intimate and close conversation with the founder of MOTIM and other key figures, giving us deep insight into each other’s operations, backgrounds, and future goals.
Exchange Bonuses & Outcomes:
- Professional Ecosystems & High-Level Arts: One of our most significant takeaways is the sheer scale and professionalism of the Brazilian creative industry. We encountered a sophisticated landscape of high-level artistic and business initiatives. It became evident that while the market is vast, having the right professional connections is a force multiplier. With these strategic bridges, it is easy to exceed expected results because of the speed and seriousness with which Brazilian partners operate.
- A Culture of Connection: We learned that in Brasília, people truly love to connect. There is a genuine openness to collaboration that, when combined with professional structures like MOTIM and SESI Lab, creates a fertile ground for serious business development within the cultural sector, as well as in the broader spectrum of creative industries.
- Diplomatic Synergy: We established contact with the Swedish Embassy in Brasília and completed a commission. For the upcoming 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations (2026), we created a design on large-scale numbers alongside local artist Adriane Kariu (Concha De Vênus).
- Cultural Depth & Indigenous Wisdom: One of the most profound experiences was being invited to a ceremony by the indigenous representative Álvaro Tukano (@bahsakewii). This provided us with a deep understanding of his and many activists’ work to defend indigenous territories, traditions, and rights. It also opened a door to the ancestral knowledge of natural medicines and sacred plants, such as Ayahuasca. Seen from the natives’ point of view, these are not merely substances but vital tools for spiritual health and a gateway to a deeper ecological understanding of our planet. This perspective on the interconnectedness of nature, animals, and humanity offers crucial insights into building a truly sustainable future.
- Sense of Place: Brasília is a breathtakingly planned, ongoing experiment. We found many similarities to the Swedish “ABC-towns” of the 50s and 60s, but also many unique differences. We visited numerous venues, bringing home inspiration that will be much appreciated in Stockholm.
Continued Exchange 2026
We concluded our stay in Brasília with a brainstorming session at Infinu together with over 15 local artists. Relationships have been created and deeply rooted, and we now have a stated intention to develop our collaboration further during 2026. Beyond our own projects, our vision includes:
- Strategic Matchmaking & Advisory: We want to assist new collaborative initiatives between our respective networks. By connecting the right people and providing advice and tips based on our experiences, we aim to lower the threshold for international cooperation.
- Market Access for Creators: We will work to make the incredible artists, designers, and companies within our networks accessible to new markets. Our goal is to facilitate new opportunities by connecting creators with clients and suppliers across our borders.
- Cultural Diplomacy & Services: We intend to support the diplomatic interests and relations of our respective countries by providing direct access to creators and high-level providers of cultural services.
- Artist Residencies: Hosting Brazilian artists from various disciplines at Stadsgårdsterminalen in Stockholm.
- MOTIM Stockholm: Launching a new art market concept in Sweden inspired by the MOTIM model.
- Digital Platform: Creating a hub for artists and producers to exchange portfolios, information, and share tips on commissions and open calls.
Summary
These two weeks in Brazil have provided us with life-changing experiences. The warm welcome from our host, Miguel Galvão, and the doors he and his network (Infinu, Picnik, MOTIM, etc.) opened for us have been crucial.
It is clear how this exchange demonstrates real synergies between our networks. Brazil is a powerhouse of serious, high-level creative initiatives, and this trip has proven that with the right professional entry points, the potential for both artistic and commercial growth is immense. We have more to learn from each other, and the physical distance between us is an asset that ensures we will get even more out of our future exchanges.
In numbers:
- Goosebumps: Average 4 per day
- New artist contacts: 50+
- Venues visited: ~10
- Ideas to bring home: 12
- Kilograms of art exported: 18 kg
- Liters of paint used: 12 liters
- Cup of coffee/açai consumed: 120
- Time difference vs. Creative sync: 4 hours apart, 100% aligned
Contact
This review is written by Andreas Blom, founder of Kollektivet Livet.
For further information or inquiries, please contact andreas@kollektivetlivet.se
