Master project 1 - autumn semester 2023                                            

In the current state of climate crisis resources need to be used in a responsible way based on circulation. I’m exploring the circulation of materials I define as natural. These materials are taken from nature and modified as little as possible, making the possibility for them to dissolve and return to the great circulation of matter faster.One of the questions I’m intrigued with is, how long should a building last? Some things are supposed to outlast us, such as museums. Buildings in themselves store memory, knowledge, skills and resources. They store culture and action in the space and communities that perform it. But in today’s world, what kind of material marks we can leave from ourselves, if any?



STEP 1 - A DISSOLVING SCALE MODEL

An artwork I am making is a scale model of the part of the KHiO building complex where our studio is and that is in Akerselva. The model will be made of unburned clay and sticks. To experiment in visualizing its process of returning to nature it will be placed in the river that is an important part of the cycle of time and material. River as a flow of water with its humid atmosphere is a good location to follow dissolving of natural materials. Rivers are an important part of the cycle of time and material. They show the passing of time by showing the change in climate, change of the route of the flow and change of the use people have had of them, such as transportation and making hydroelectric power.
STEP 2, WAITING FOR A SNOWFLAKE

Snow can be seen as a material that is part of nature and that can be used for building. My work “Waiting for a snowflake” is a workshop and performance that underlines climate change, and the influence weather has on people. I will organise a snow building workshop whenever there is snow. In the meanwhile, I invited everyone from our university to join the workshop and wait with me putting up a poster saying: When is the snow coming? Does it come back this winter? I update the weather forecast under the poster. Depending on the amount of snow in the workshop could be built a pavilion or a shelter. If there is only little snow, imaginary spaces can be drawn on the ground and the structures can be lifted later if there is more snow. If something gets to be built there will be maintenance workshops and events held in the space hoping for it to last. With this workshop I aim to activate the school yard during the cold season.

Participants: Belén Santillán and Finlay Hall © Markus Sirkka / Sirkka Image / www.sirkkaimage.comSTEP 3, WORKSHOP

I also focus on exploration of potential futures of old buildings that are storages of resources and work. I’m planning on organising a workshop and gather a group of volunteers to take over for example an abandoned brick factory building by Alnaelva. The aim is to build a small temporary structure out of materials that will return to nature after the project has ended. In this case I’m thinking of using unburned clay. The activity could be connected to the abandoned building, for example working with clay in an old brick factory. The structure could be made of “sustainable bricks” made of reed and unburned clay. Putting unburned and burned clay side by side like this, and focusing on a building that is standing empty I want to highlight the difference that human processing has on materials. The new space would point out potential the building has to become a meeting point for people around a common interest in an activity. Potentially the workshop would draw the participants’ and other people’s attention to the space and it’s potential. This could then lead to other activities at the site. Or possibly the group of participants would continue doing things together.
Start of a list of potential references:

Ana Mendieta (dissolving land art)

Eva Hesse (models, decay, organic, in process)

Karen Barad, Meeting the Universe Halfway (time, space, matter)

Akerselvas Venner

:)