When I was invited to participate in Autostrada Biennale (Kosovo, 2021) with my project Too Much Melanin (Gothenburg, 2013), I reflected once again on the blind spots and possible contradictions of projects labelled as relational art, participatory projects or collaborative practices, and decided that it was a good opportunity to revisit the project and, while I am at it, to give some thought to these kinds of artistic practices. Eight years later, I was going to meet up again with Lume (Maria), the protagonist of Too Much Melanin, in her homeland. What had happened to us after that project, what had become of us, what were the consequences of our collaboration in 2013, how to deal with asymmetries in collaborative art practices?
My vacations with Lume, consisted of Lume and I going on a pleasure holiday in Kosovo, where Lume was returning with the Swedish status of political refugee, acquired thanks to the benefits of Too Much Melanin. Our holiday was funded by the institution, all expenses paid.