Proposal for KORO / National Tourist Routes, Senja, Norway
This project is a result of invitation to propose an artwork in the public space. Location was selected by the commission to be the city of Gryllefjord which is both the start and end on tourist route which go over Senja, north Norway. Work Silent Observation may be described as two related parts: Pact and levitating house.
Pact / Covenant: (Confidential) is directly related to the levitating house. In short, all the inhabitants will be informed and will agree with the construction of a house which will levitate in the center of Gryllefjord. The house levitate using magnets bearing the house so it hovers in the air.
All agree that they will not tell to strangers (tourists, passersby, journalists, etc.) about the production of this artwork in Gryllefjord, including all reasonable and technical information about the house.
This include all parties involved. We as an artists will never speak about flying house as our artwork.
In this way citizens give a chance to the levitating house to remain a local mystery. They signed confidentiality. This absence of information, sealed in the form of a silent pact will give visitors a chance to judge the discovery, wonder, interpret and further tell stories about what they have seen in Gryllefjord: A flying house, believe it or not! Silent Observation describes thus how the inhabitants will witness the various explanatory models from the outside, related to levitating house in Gryllefjord. Levitating house will thus act as a so called relational object, catalyst for small changes in and about Gryllefjord.
You can also assume that Silent Observation will simulate the creation of local legends and myths, which has been so important to the oral storytelling tradition and local identity in the area. The most famous of these tales is “The Man in the Ausa.” This legend found even on the municipality’s website.