Ein festivalur í festivalinum - G! List, materialitetur og náttúra

Aftur í ár skipaði Forlagið Eksil fyri einum bókmenta- og listatiltaki á G!Festivalinum, sum í ár gekk fyri seg í nýggja, hugtakandi býráðshúsinum (Ósbjørn Jacobsen 2017) í Eysturkommunu og í Fjósinum í Syðrugøtu. Sera væl hóskandi støð at halda ein tílíkan listafestival í G-festivalinum eftir sum, at evnið var Materialitetur og Náttúra. Sum kunnugt er náttúran tilfarsligur partur av býráðshúsunum, sum eru bygd tvørtur um ánna í Norðagøtu.

Fyrireikararnir eru væl nøgdir við tiltakið, ið varð myndað av framsýningum, bókaframløgu og øðrum framløgum og upplestri. Her vóru upplegg um at yvirliva, materialitet, post-homanitet, har bæði vakri bygningurin, økið kring hann og listin tosaði saman. Tiltakið var altjóða og tí eru tekstir og røður á enskum.

Materiality and Nature II - Exhibitions, Literature and Talks

“…learning to stay with the trouble of living and dying in responsibility on a damaged earth” Donna Haraway

The event is a thematic exploration of how artists today use and conceive nature in a post humanist context. We will open an art exhibition curate experimental literature and talks. We will address new perspectives on nature and environment, how these themes are represented in both art and literature? On our intimate interconnections with, for instance, snowflakes, plastic, sugar, plankton, or radiation reflected in art and literature and if we do have any use for the concept of Nature? How can we rethink the concepts of us, “nature” and art in a damaged word?

Artists: Jón Sonni Joensen (FO), Jóhan Martin Christiansen (FO), Tsz-Man Chan (Hong Kong), Randi Samsonsen (FO), Johannes Göransson (US), Siri Ranva Hjelm Jacobsen (DK), Vónbjørt Vang (FO), Stuart McLean (US) & Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir (FO), Kim Simonsen (FO).

Programme:
5pm: Official opening and Welcome by Hanna Jensen, member of Eysturkommuna City Council
5:45pm: Readings: 
Johannes Göransson (US) 
Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir (FO) reads from her new book "Korallbruni".
Vónbjørt Vang (FO) and Siri Ranva Hjelm Jacobsen (DK) discuss "home and place".
Break: we provide free beer and drinks
6pm: Talks: Stuart McLean (US): ”On Surviving”.
6:25pm: Round table on theme "Materiality and Nature"

Fjósið Syðrugøta, Thursday 12 July: 

4pm: Hildaland: A Lost Man and A Lost Island – video-art og artist talk – Tsz-Man (Hong Kong) og Stuart McLean (US)

7pm-9pm: Readings by Faroese authors Oddfríður Marni Rasmussen, Katrin Ottarsdóttir, Haldur Suni, Sámal Soll og Ludvík á Brekku.

Fjósið Syðrugøta, Saturday 14 July:

3pm: Creative writing work-shop with Professor Johannes Göransson (US)

This year the publisher Eksil's event at G! Festival 2018 is a thematic exploration of how artists today use and conceive nature in a post humanist context. We will open an art exhibition curate experimental literature and talks. We will address new perspectives on nature and environment, addressing how these themes are represented in both art and literature? How is thinking about our intimate interconnections with, for instance, snowflakes, plastic, sugar, plankton, or radiation reflected in art and literature? Do we have any real use for the old concept of Nature? How do we rethink the concepts of us, “nature” and art?

Røða hildin til framsýning og temadag í Býráðshúsinum í Eysturkommunu tann 11. juli 2018, ið Hanna Jensen helt fyri Mentanarnevndina í Eysturkommunu:

Welcome to our town hall in the municipality of East, Eysturkommuna.

A part from the light and sound work of art by Jens L. Thomsen, and the architectual art of the building itself by Ósbjørn Jascobsen, and the paintings we have on the walls permanently, and a part from the exhipition of the local evening school this spring, the exhibition we open today is the first real exhibition of professional artists in our new town hall. And I am at the same time honoured an proud to be here with you all today as a member of the municipality council and representing the commitee of culture.

We have a saying: “Hetta hevur tann lærdi fram um tann ólærda” wich in our context could be translated “ this is the advantage of the professional over the amateur”. And looking around me at the surroundings and the pieces of art, I must nod in recognition of the blessing of this gathering, this evnt, where the publisher Eksil, Kim Simonsen, has set up this meeting of people and productions.

Art risks to be understood as something you take out of your hat after you finshed your regular work – at the end of the day, in weekends and holidays. In Faroese: “Tú ristir eitt sindur av list úr ermuni eftir loknan arbeiðsdag í øðrum vasi”. This event and the location prove another truth to art.

It is most interesting and necessary to ask the questions lanced in the invitation to this event: How can we rethink the concepts of us, “nature” and art in a damaged word? And I warmly welcome the idea of adressing new perspectives on nature and environment, where you ask how these themes are represented in both art and literature?

In this municipality we have since its beginning in the joining of two neighbouring municipalities in the area in year 2009 been quite focused on how we can meet the different cultural aspects of the community and its fairly high production of art. This is why we prepared and voted a cultural policy in 2014, where we really want to meet the local ideas and activity.

Many times did we hear, that you gain this and that amount of money for each dime you invest in culture. As important these analysis and figures are and as imortant it is to prioritze and be selective for quality, we have witnessed in a very concrete way by supporting the G! Festival financially, in communication and consulting services, technical solutions and services and other from different staff of the municipality, that different kinds of arts are prospering around the festival and more and more numerous. The latest example is this artistic acticvity by Eksil and you people here and those we will hear and see the coming days. The event on Land Art last year really inspired me, so thank you!

Now I will say something in Faroese about the theme of the exhibition – because we are here in Gøta, Faroe Islands, and to emphasize how important expression on art and international art dicussion is in our language too:

Temað um, hvussu listafólk nýta og fata náttúru í einum post humanum samanhangi, er spennandi og avbjóðandi – ikki bert fyri tykkum listafólk, men so sanniliga fyri okkum áskoðarar og áhoyrarar, sum skulu fylgja hesum øðrvísi sjónarhorni, ikki bert at síggja náttúruna í eini romatiskari tilgongd – sama við spurninginum um umhvørvi, eitt rættiliga aktuelt mál bæði í nærumhvørvinum OG heimsumfatandi.

Til dømis tá Randi Samsonsen vil hava okkum á tal gjøgnum eina visuella samrøðu, sum tekur støði í følisansinum, tá hon arbeiðir við vevnaði (tekstil) og hugleiðir um, hvussu menniskjan er drivin at forma og nýta tilfar og skapa burturúr, men møguliga ikki nóg tilvitað um teir nýggju trupulleikar hendan nýtslan og framleiðslan kann volda.

Úr grein hjá Stuart McLean lesa vit eisini, at kjakið um antropocænuna oftast tekur sínar ábendingar úr náttúruvínsindum og vísindum annnars, men kundi lært nógv av bókmentum og frá visuellu listini og teimum útinnandi leiklistunum, tí hesar rættiliga sjónliga fáast við markamótið millum materialitetin í tilfari og hetta, at framleiða skilvísa og bøtandi mentanarliga meining.

Jón Sonni Jensen sigur, at hann í síni list strembar eftir at skapa ein kendan og um somu tíð ein fremmandan varhuga av tí kropsliga og tess samleika.

Eins og í fjør fáa vit høvi at síggja verk eftir Jóhan Martin Christiansen, sum yvirskipað arbeiðir við skulpturi og video, har ið sambondini millum tilfar, taktilitet, náttúr, søgu, krop og poesi verða kannað.

Tsz Man Chan; úr Hong kong við síni videolist sýnir fram í Syðrugøtu frá í morgin, list, sum er ognað manninum IVANOV, og sýnist sera áhugaverd.

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In a while we will hear texts read aloud – new material from our host the publisher, Kim Simonsen, and from Anna Malan Jógvansdóttir, who just graduated from the Danish Author School from Johannes Göransson and from Vónbjørt Vang and Siri Ranvá Hjelm. And as I said in the beginning: it is a great honor, and I will add this: a great joy, and a good challenge to see and hear parts from your universes that came to us in Gøta today.

Welcome indeed!
Vælkomin!

 

Røða hildin til setanina av framsýningum og listaframførslunum á G! Festivalinum 11. juli 2018. Býráðshúsið í Eysturkommunu og í Syðrugøtu.

Eftir: Solveig Hanusardóttur Olsen, listfrøðing

Intro:

The artists exhibiting here at the town hall in Norðragøta are Jón Sonni Jensen, Jóhan Martin Christiansen and Randi Samsonsen, all from the Faroe Islands. In addition to this Tsz-Man Chan from Hong Kong will present three video-installations at Fjósið tomorrow.

The theme:

The artists work with nature and environment in a post-humanist context. But what does this mean? The artists create a space where everyone can examine what it means to be human. As the quote by Donna Haraway used in the promotion of this event states: “…learning to stay with the trouble of living and dying in responsibility on a damaged earth”

The artists:

The artists do this in very individual ways. What they all have in common is a thorough understanding of the materials used, how they act, the possibilities they hold, how they relate to the outside world as well as connect to the individual.

Randi Samsonsen:

Randi Samsonsen creates soft sculptures through an ancient and traditional handicraft. Randi takes the art of knitting and crocheting to another level. Through her works she aims to have a visual conversation with the viewer and connect to them through tactility. Her artworks are time-consuming: one small loop connected to another loop, continuing on to what feels like eternity. It takes expert knowledge about the process, the tools and the material.

Jóhan Martin Christiansen:

For Jóhan Martin Christiansen nature is used as an imprint. These impressions affect our consciousness – both physically through our senses, and mentally through perception and memory. Many of Jóhan Martin’s works contain distinct features of landscape. They show a sensuous surface of materials such as plaster and cotton where nature has left its mark in various ways and brings abstract impressions and images forward.

Jón Sonni Jensen

Jón Sonni Jensen’s works are bodily in an abstract way. They are sensuous in a two-part manner: they both fascinate and disgust, they draw and repel, they calm and disturb. These feelings that are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and the connection between them fascinates Jón Sonnni. The artworks are mirrors turned towards the viewer. We do not recognize the artwork as something concrete, but because of the connotations of the forms and materials we can relate to it in some abstract way.

Tsz-Man Chan

Tsz-Man Chan is from Hong Kong. She creates spaces where the viewer can contemplate on what it means to be human and a connection with nature. In her artworks she intertwines mythology, creativity and real life. She is going to present three video works about her partner Ivanov who disappeared on their home island. The work is described as fictional mythology merging into a surreal life story. This and a talk will be at Fjósið tomorrow at 16:00.

Ending:

Material and awareness of material becomes present in our construction and deconstruction of life. This cross-cultural event is an informing and interesting way of showing how these themes are represented in various art forms. I am looking forward to a lot of interesting talks and discussions, and wish you a great festival.