The "timeless" Sámi dolls sold in Tromsø’s tourist shops alongside trolls, Vikings and other kitsch objects seem out of step with the urgent matters facing Sami communities today: such as land disputes over wind power plants and mining, documented structural discrimination, and ongoing truth and reconciliation processes.

Although it is easy to assume that these dolls are mass-produced abroad, they are some of the most “local” items available in Tromsø’s tourist shops: most are made by Arctic Doll in Rovaniemi, Finland - the only working doll factory in Northern Europe. According to the company’s website, they "fully support the northern area and the handicraft culture found there. All the dolls bodies and costumes are designed and made from start to finish in Lapland".

Arctic [Un]Limited offers a critical alternative: Sami dolls that speak to the world as it is today and suggest alternatives for how it might be tomorrow. Armed with protest posters, the Sápmi Liberation Dolls tell tourists and locals alike some hard truths about Norway and the Nordics today.