The invasion in Ukraine began during the rehearsal period for Close(d) Boarders Connection project. The artistic team just have finished rehearsal period in Moscow, have performed with joiking choir at GES2. Within one day, much of the project routine took on a very different significance than planned.

During the pandemic, many border crossings around the world were closed. Lockdown provisions have had a major impact on many places, including areas in Finnmark, where Norwegians, Sámi, Finns, and Russians otherwise peaceably go about their everyday lives. Close(d) Boarders Connection project focused on this lockdown situation, our longing for and ideas about all the people 'over there', on the other side of the border.

In the performance work Close(d) border Connection artists work with both voice, body, images and sculpture, avoiding the use of microphones or other technical sources. This is because they wish to focus on the themes of body and borders in the most natural way. Artists wish to use the whole body and we want everyone to join in a big joiking choir. They also want to make use of their voices, so that they can be heard clearly, and maybe communicate across the border in a similar way to how the nomadic people communicated in the past. The team is exploring how it affects, walking when borders move in and around them. The use of movement will be a starting point as artists feel that everyone can relate to the act of walking. Walking is one of the key signs of being nomadic. To move across either small or large distances , with or without restrictions will be one of our themes. The Gathering will shift borders in our imagination, at the same time as we challenge and lean on each other as nomads (do).

As I can see, this project creates Barents Artwork, where people play with materials, context and nomadic thoughts. Through the choice of different materials and with a cross-collaborative perspective all the artists involved is able to share knowledge and experience with one another. Close(d) Boarders Connection is a sharing project, with the aim of working democratically and with a deep understanding of artistic expressions, different artistic genres, culture and cultural differences.

The various forms of artistic expression are put together to form a piece where all genres have equal value. Creators idea of the project want this to be a democratic project without any hierarchical thoughts about which artistic expression has the most value. Close(d) border Connection is a project focusing on borders as its main theme. The closed borders become a stage, and artists are on either side of the border, creating something magical together. A performance work that looks at both the physical and psychological borders that constrains our lives. This performative work becomes a piece of art where everyone participates as both artists and facilitators.


The project is supported by:
Barentssekretariatet i Kirkenes, KORO, Norsk kulturrådet seksjonen for Kulturdepartementet.