QUENCH PRESENTS - NASTJA SÄDE RÖNKKÖ IN CONVERSATION WITH GIULIA CASALINI

“ALL THERE REALLY IS, IS TRANSFORMATION AND EMBRACING THE CHANGE.”

Join us for an evening with artist Nastja Säde Rönkkö in-conversation with Giulia Casalini at Quench Gallery, where they will be discussing their artistic practice and screening a selection of short videos from ‘Survival Guide for a Post Apocalyptic Child’.

This satellite event accompanies the main exhibition taking place at Fort Burgoyne (Dover) throughout August, as part of the University for the Creative Arts; curatorial program, curated by Bean. Focusing on the queer, feminist ecological language of the films, Casalini will share specially selected films from the work as part of the discussion.

Nastja Säde Rönkkö:

Nastja Säde Rönkkö is an artist working with video, performance, installation and text. Her projects investigate the relationship between the digital era, power, humanity and the future of our planet. She is particularly fascinated with how concepts such as love, slowness or affection can be silent yet radical ways to be and act in the world. Her practice dreams about the future and explores presence through politics and poetics of emotion.

Rönkkö has exhibited and performed internationally, Recent solo exhibitions include Those Who Kept the Light, Rønnebæksholm Kunsthall, Denmark (2022) and Salt in Our Blood, in Our Sweat, In Our Tears, Beaconsfield Gallery, London (2023).

Her work has won several awards including Best Experimental Film at Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, Best Editing, NYC Indie Film Awards, Best Short Film and Best Director in Short Film, Marietta International Film Festival and Seeing the Bigger Picture Award, American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund (2018). She is the 35th recipient of the Young Artist of the Year 2019 title and award in Finland and recipient of Below Zero Art Prize (2023).

Giulia Casalini:

Giulia Casalini (they/she) is a freelance curator-artist-researcher and transfeminist organiser based in London. Their (eco)transfeminist and queer activism aims to build and bridge communities across the globe through the arts and (nature)cultures. They are currently reflecting on how healing should be rooted in curating through well-being and spiritual practices. They do so through ongoing practices of noticing and unlearning colonial patterns in knowledge-making, work praxis, social relationality and institutional logic.

They hold a PhD from the University of Roehampton (Technē-funded), where they analysed queer-trans-feminist live art from transnational, anti-colonial perspectives. They have been co-founder and artistic director of the non-profit arts organisation Arts Feminism Queer (aka CUNTemporary, 2012-21), and of Archivio Queer Italia (2014-17). Giuliasits on the advisory board of Mimosa House (London) and is a Live Art Associate UK. Selected curatorial projects: Burned House Horizon (Mimosa House, London, 2025); Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi: Performance as Life (documentary, 2024); Diwata (performance film, British Council, Philippines, 2024); #WIP (Queer Art Projects, online, 2020); EcoFutures (multi-venue festival, London, 2019); Still Burning (Konsthalle, Varberg, 2019); Transitional States (touring, including Peltz Gallery, London and CCCB, Barcelona, 2017-18); Transformer (Richard Saltoun, London, 2014). She has published in peer-reviewed academic journals, art magazines and more popular outlets.

web: https://linktr.ee/queer_femme IG: https://www.instagram.com/queer___femme/