Short bio

Jonatan Habib Engqvist

Jonatan Habib Engqvist is an author, curator and occasional teacher with a background in Philosophy and Aesthetic theory who has worked extensively with residencies. Since 2021 he is also editor of Ord&Bild together with Ann Ighe. Critic/curator in Residency at HIAP, Helsinki and Art OMI, NY, 2023. From 2024, chair of The Swedish Association of Curators and mentor at Saastamoinen Foundation’s international mentoring programme, UNIARTS Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki with Angela Rosenberg.


Engqvist and has for over two decades curated and co-curated several experimental and longterm projects and numerous exhibitions on four continents including international gatherings, biennales and festivals such as the 5th Project Biennial of Contemporary Art D-0 ARK Underground the VR Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale (2019). Cycle Music and Art Festival Berlin/ Reykjavík/ Koparvogur (2018), Survival Kit 9 in Riga, Latvia, Sinopale 6, Sinop, Turkey (2017), Tunnel Vision, the 8th Momentum biennale in Moss, Norway (2015) and (I)ndependent People, the visual art focus of Reykjavík Arts Festival (2012). 


He is is part of Transhemisférica, founded and directed Curatorial Residency In Stockholm, CRIS (2015-2020) and was the first artistic director of the interregional artproject Nya Småland (now Smålandstriennialen) on commission by four regional art museums and a university, including the first edition of the triennial (2016- 2020). Formerly project manager for visual art at Iaspis (2009-2014), curator at Moderna Museet (2008-09) and employed at The Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm (2005-07).


His writing has been published widely in several languages in publications and catalogues around the world. Books include: Mor, Friktion förlag, 2022, Letters Sent from Heaven – Frozen and Vaporized Water: Ukichiro Nakaya and Fujiko Nakaya's Science and Art, OK BOOK, 2022, Big Dig ­– Om passivitet och samtidskonst, CLP Works, 2018, Studio Talks: Thinking Through Painting, Arvinius+Orfeus Publishing, 2014, In Dependence – Collaboration and Artists´ initiatives, Torpedo Press, 2013, Work, Work, Work – A Reader on Art and Labour, Steinberg Press, 2012, Dharavi: Documenting Informalities, KKH, 2008, Academic Foundation, New Delhi 2009.


Engqvist co-founded the The Swedish Association of Curators,  is an advisory board member of the Nordic Art Association, and frequently works as an advisor and jury member. He has lectured and taught in various universities and artschools including KABK in the Hauge, the Iceland University of the Arts, MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Konstfack, Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies in Bombay, Stockholm University, Södertörn University, HDK-Valandat theUniversity of Gothenburg, DieAngewandte in Vienna, and Uniarts in Helsinki.

Contact: jonatan [at] philosophy.se

Image by Christer Lundahl. Installation by Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir a.k.a Shoplifter and Zhala, Momentum 8, Tunnel vision, Moss, Norway, 2015