Dáiddadállu has been a demanding child, but an incredibly strong one. With a will and energy of its own that we've sometimes struggled just to keep up with. It's taken a lot. But it's also given us something invaluable. For me, Dáiddadállu has been a source of strength. A community. A safe space to be an artist, even when what our art needs to express is uncomfortable, unwelcome, or not fully understood by wider society or the art world. A place where we don't have to explain who we are, or where our art comes from. Where we can rest after struggle, or come together to find new strength and inspiration.

But Dáiddadállu is much more than a shoulder to lean on. It brings together artists across generations and disciplines, sharing knowledge and experience. One of my hopes has always been that individual success can also become a collective resource. That when one artist gains visibility, experience or new connections, those opportunities can find their way back into the community. And open doors for others and an extended society. In that way, individual artistic practices can help strengthen an entire field. Not by putting the collective above the individual, but by allowing opportunities to grow when we share them. What makes me especially proud is that Dáiddadállu does not simply listen to artists’ challenges. We act on them, together.

This award means much because it recognises not only the art, but also the often invisible work of creating the conditions that allow art to grow.

I want to thank all the artists who have shaped Dáiddadállu, and everyone who has stood with us. A special thank you to our employees and to our director, Dine, who has taken on the enormous task of turning this vision into a living, working organisation. Who, through dedication and hard work, continues to build the structures that strengthen our artistic needs and possibilities. To our board and chairs, including Johan Vasara and Maria Utsi, who have believed so genuinely in this vision, in the artists, and in all the potential that is still waiting to be realised. And to Elle Sofe, who recognized the needs behind the vision that day over coffee, and helped set Dáiddadállu’s form and direction. So many people have helped raise this child. And so many continue to carry it forward.

And perhaps that's the most beautiful part. That something which started as an idea in one person's mind found its way to others, and grew into something none of us could have built alone. Because artistic freedom isn't just about being free to create. It's also about having a place to stand. Having people to stand with. And having the power to shape our own future.

Thank you.

- Máret Ánne Sara

I want to thank our Dáiddarguoimmit, my invaluable and irreplaceable colleagues in the administration, our dedicated and steadfast board members, our valued and trusted partners around the world, and everyone who has helped build, strengthen, and sustain Dáiddadállu. And Máret Ánne, thank you for the vision, courage, and persistence that started this journey, and for trusting me with the responsibility of helping carry it forward.

Receiving the MUNCH Award is a recognition of how far we have come. But it is also a reminder of the work that remains.We want the structures we build today to make it possible for the next generation to go further than we have been able to go ourselves.

Ollu giitu/Qujanaq/Thank you.

- Dine Arnannguaq Fenger Lynge

Imagine the expectations placed on such an organisation. The artists we support, the international networks we maintain, the national institutions seeking our knowledge, and the growing demand for collaboration. This is not sustainable. And it points to a much larger structural challenge. Following Norway's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we have been waiting for a meaningful commitment to addressing the historical inequalities that continue to shape Sámi cultural life today. There have been important acknowledgements, political commitments, and growing expectations for national institutions to engage with Sámi art and culture. But from where we stand, the structural investment needed to strengthen Sámi institutions has yet to match those ambitions. And this creates another paradox.

We are asking national institutions to collaborate more with Sámi artists and organisations, without ensuring that Sámi institutions have the capacity to participate on equitable terms. Recognition does not create new positions. Visibility does not build infrastructure. And equal expectations do not create equitable partnerships. This is not simply a question of funding individual organisations. It is about the kind of society we want to build, and whether we are willing to invest in the institutions that allow Indigenous knowledge, culture, and artistic expression to thrive on our own terms.

For Dáiddadállu, this points towards our next chapter. We want to build on what our artists have created and develop a Sámi national centre for contemporary art, with an international reach. A centre for knowledge development, research, artistic exploration, and collaboration, serving artists, institutions, and communities throughout Sápmi and beyond. Not simply to strengthen Dáiddadállu, but to build capacity for an entire artistic field. And this brings me back to the MUNCH Award.

This recognition is an extraordinary honour. It gives us visibility, encouragement, and a powerful affirmation of the work our artists have done. For that, we are deeply grateful. But perhaps its greatest value is the opportunity it gives us to ask what comes next. Because true recognition is not only about celebrating what has been achieved. It is about investing in what must become possible. We are immensely proud of what Dáiddadállu has achieved with so little. Now, imagine what could be possible if we had the structures and resources to match our ambitions. That is the future we want to build.

Giitu. Thank you.

- Maria Utsi