[TEAM] Alex White Mazzarella, Avani Patel, Iosu Lopéz
[LOCAL PARTNERS] Akershus Kunstsenter (AKS), Skedsmo Municipality, Thon Hotels
[FINANCIAL SPONSOR] Skedsmo Municipality
[DATES] JUN 2011
Short Video by Iosu Lopez
This blog is about the Artefacting Lillestrom Workshop, for the Artefacting Lillestrom Exhibition click [here]
Day 6: Public Space Installation
Photos of the sculptures by Alex White Mazzarella
Alas we launch the sculptures and installation into Lillestrom’s public space. Frantically we hauled the pieces around town with the children and rose high in the sky to hang the smaller sculptures and objects in the Dreamcatcher. The children were overly joyous to have their work out in public, and a gracious reception by Rikke and Vera officially welcomed their work into the city. Many thanks to Lillestrom for welcoming us with such open arms.
Day 4 & 5: The Workshop
Photos of the workshop by Kathrine Storm-Olsen & Alex White Mazzarella
Gathered objects are poured over by the workshop's 20 children
Alex assisting Cathrine assemble her idea
Martin & Seaman begin to formulate their sculpture
Amidst a zoo of recyclables
Cathrine deep in imagination
The beginnings of the dream-driver
Combining diverse materials
Careful structuring
Pheven reusing lampshades
A break for lunch, dreamcatcher style
Going from material to green
Painting all the details
Waiting in line for the green
Objects and smaller sculptures were made for the Dreamcatcher
Everything must go green
A green dream-dragon destined for the Dreamcatcher
Pheven and her lamp sculpture
Martin spins the wheel to hear the hum created by his dream-maker
The finished dream-sled
Selma and the bicycle with guests
Cathrine sings with her rockstar
The artists of the dream-driver buckled up and on the phone
Twenty children in office chairs around a long conference table in a Skedsmo Municipality Office. A peculiar but fun way to begin. A short film and photos from other missions was presented, and the children were left wondering and curious about the dreamcatchers they would be making. Before they could think to much we walked down to the Kulture House. We had finished some sculptures also to serve as examples, and before we could really offer too much instruction the kids were sifting through our gathered materials.
Children dived into the Dreambox idea; sculptures that would be able to deliver dreams of sorts, whether it be through serving as a note receptacle, or engaging the viewer in some creative way. On the following day final touches were put on the dreamboxes and smaller sculptures were being assembled to lie in the dreamcatcher. And finally, the painting began, with the bright flourescent green paint buckets depleting slowly. The green would find its way nearly everywhere, with yours truly still sporting the substance all over.
Day 3: Alex & Avani; Creating Dreamboxes
Upon finally coating the sculptures with an effervescent super nature green, the fairytale substance of dreams began to emerge replacing rust and dented metal. A spire resembles a gnome’s hat, a monster bathtub leans over to whisper sound from its’ drainpipe… a bit of magic, and magic is something the Norwegians are more than familiar with.
The way to the North - Norway, Norwegen, Norway - has always been regarded as difficult to find, hard to travel and full of unspeakable dangers. For the antique writers, Norway was a land of Folk Tales and Myths. Ultima Thule- “beyond the borders of the known world”- inhabited by savage barbarians and full of strange and fantastic creatures. The Paganism lasted longer up here in the North. While the rest of Europe had been Christianized for nearly a thousand years, we were still worshiping our old pagan Gods. Throughout the centuries, therefore, tradesmen, soldiers and missionaries who ventured up here given many headshaking depictions of us when they were safely home again.
“In the traditional sense, Folklore is a series of old notions of nature mystical spirits and supernatural forces that lived side by side with the official religion, and borrowed, used and reinterpreted elements from it.”
(Ørnulf Hodne) More Norweigan Folklore HERE
Avani, Rikke, Vera, Kristen and I are excited about officially launching the workshop tomorrow, and seeing what type of inspiration and positivity Artefacting can catalyze in this sleepy town. Will the public be inspired by Dreamcatcher Infrastructure, and actually utilize this odd new public space furniture?
DAY 2: Back to the dump
Back at the ROAF recycling center, and it really became clear why Norway is one of the Europe’s top recyclers. Nearly everything is segregated in the name of protecting the environment. Avani and I jumped back into the mountains of scrap metal to fish out some large pieces for some sculptures; a car door and bathtub were the top hits… and back in Lillestrøm, while the town was partying late in the name of the solstice, we rounded out the plans for the sculptures and where they will be going.
Amongst meeting center officials the response to our sculptures has been great, with apparently everyone wanting one in front of their building or public space. We’ll have to see about that!
The concept for the Kultusenter Dreambox sculpture, or is it a Door to Time? Photo by Alex White Mazzarella
DAY 1: To the dump
At 9am Avani, Vera and I took a truck and wagon over to ROAF, the regional industrial waste site to begin gathering material for the workshop. A steady rain pelted us, but we sifted through mounds and mounds of industrial waste, identifying and selecting objects for our sculptures that are representative of everyday Lillestrom life. Bicycles, toys, a golf club, a saw, a lawnmower… we packed the wagon with heaps of materials that Vera referred to as “gold”. Funny considering that in Dharavi, the recycling center of Mumbai, waste material was referred to as “the loot”! The idea comes full circle… turning obsolescence into renewed human value. And this time it will be manifested as interactive “dream infrastructure” for the public.
What in the world is “dream infrastructure”? We’ll soon find out! For now heaps of materials are lying in a lawn in the center of Lillestrom waiting to undergo artistic metamorphosis to find their way back into the lives of the people. Stay tuned for more…
Video by Alex White Mazzarella at ROAF waste center
interesting!
Boy, Lillestrom will never be the same! I bet many communities will want to get you to do the same for them! Dharavi inspiration! Great color! Psychedelic?
This was indeed an interesting undertaking John. Lillestrom is not an artistic place, but instead more of a conservative place where attention is paid to sports and shopping. However the response and respect for what we and the kids had created was surprising. Our idea of stimulating imagination through a green color and the work of the kids... well it worked. A local spoke of his childhood memories skiing drawn from the ski used to create one of the sculpture. Now to see how the community will be brought further together via these public installations. Social cohesion is an important concern of european communities, and we are hoping to activate the public space to further assist this :)
Kult! that means "cool" in Norsk :). I loved reading this blog and what you did in Lillstrøm. You could try it up North and also expand out, i'm sure many more little children will be excited by it, if not adults too! I'm contributing for Global Village magazine, North-east India, Nagaland and Assam. Tusen Takk! (Thank you very much)
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Looking forward for more helpful posts like this one.
Looking forward for more interesting posts like this one.