You try to imagine how it will be to
be together with and work with a group of refugees in an Red Cross Center.
This week there has been there has been
14 art workshops.
Each refugee has chosen which art workshop
he or she would like to attend.
My art workshop was defined as follows:
"In January 2002 I will be a Visiting
Teacher in a project called "Stories, from ear to eye" where I will inspire
refugees to create a huge sculpture and make an exhibition of this
sculpture. Then they are artists, not refugees. At the same time I will
interview these new artists about their lives, print these stories and
put them inside the sculpture. The stories will be presented in an e-book
on my web site and preferably on Red Cross' web site too.
My idea is to make a huge sculpture
in simple shapes and bright colors, an optimistic sculpture and put
the refugees' bad memories inside the sculpture. Not to forget their past,
it can not be forgotten, bud to make a emblem in their minds, which will
pop up before or at the same time as the bad memories. The
e-book will be illustrated by a lot of pictures of the genesis of the sculpture.
The sculpture will be built of water proof materials in order to be exhibited
outdoor later.
I know these are high ambitions,
but that is what art is for.
A part of the project is of course
to communicate this vision to the Danish Society - that is why we make
the exhibition. Jørgen Chemnitz, Red Cross Denmark and The Chairman
of the Cultural Board Bent Martinsen, Randers Municipality will be asked
to open the exhibition."
See my drafts of the sculpture
Materials:
Wood plates 244 cm x 122 cm x
1,5 cm x 3 per box x 12 boxes
Wood laths 1,22 m lath x 8 each box
12 boxes (later altered to 12 lathes per box)
Painting (1,22 m x 1,22 m) x 6
surfaces x 12 boxes (twice)
Glue, screws etc.
To assure myself that these boxes were
not a figment of the imagination
I have made one sample box.
The result showed that it was possible
to
produce a durable box as a part of a
huge sculpture.
Some alterations of the design however
was made, the box became to big in size 122 x 122 x 122 cm and the
size was altered to 100 x 100 x 100 cm. Some procedures was altered too.
The day of workshop start was 14th January
2002.
4 young lads fully fitting the media's
descriptions of young refugees
entered the peristyle where the workshop
was to take place.
Elvis was the name of the most noisy,
loud screaming and with a self promoting attitude.
Abazi was the name of another young
lad with the sun glasses placed in the neck to look cool.
3 giggling girls stood in a corner by
themselves.
Then came 9 men. Yes, this was the place
where the sculpture workshop should take place.
They entered quietly, they had a wait
and se attitude but without skepticism.
Morten and I had made drawings of the
construction.
_________________________________________________
Instruction
in constructing the sculpture
in general
Each box is made out of 3 wood plates
of the size 1,5 x 122 x 244 cm.
Use the 2 templets in 3 mm paperboard,
one templet size 99,9 x 99,9 cm to the button, top and sides, that
is 4 parts, and one templet of the size 99,9 x 96,9 cm for the two ends.
For each box you must use 8 latches
size 82,5 cm and 4 latches of the size 100 cm.
From the edge of the wooden plate to
the lath there must be 1,5 cm to make room for the sides.
Translations:
"Bund og topplade", button
and top plate
"altid retside udad",
always the right side on the surface of the box
As the button has been assembled and the glue is dry,
you can assemble the sides and the ends.
Use 4 lathes size 100 cm as posts in
each corner.
Remember that the right side becomes
the surface of the box.
Translations:
"Endeplade", end plate
"Sideplade", side plate
Bundplade", button plate
"retsiden udad", right
side out
"retsiden nedad", right
side down
__________________________________
Filling
and painting
You fill with Åffa Universal filler.
Most important is to fill where the
plates are assembled.
All edges are painted one extra time
with painting Hygæa Træ & Facader gloss 10.
All sides of the box is painted twice
with the painting Hygæa Træ & Facade gloss 10.
Best regards and enjoy
the work
Morten and Asbjørn
__________________________________________
Thursday
24th January 2002
Back
in my studio, gallery and private home
in Hedensted I got a little help from my friends.
Second grade from Stjernevejens school
was working with geometric shapes in
art classes.
They visited me on a rainy Thursday.
18 pupils and 2 teachers built the model.
I think it is beautiful.
The sculpture is ready for exhibition.
I believe we all had a splendid day
in spite of the weather.
Yes, it is beautiful.
But as we looked at it from behind the
two red boxes on the ground had to be separated and displaced.
Suddenly an exit appeared.
An exit of a labyrinth?
Or an entrance?
For sure you have to bend down
and even crawl on your knees to get through.
Have I heard this story before?
Last
News:
Morten and I will accept a wish to remain
anonymous and a wish not to be on the Internet or not even in the boxes.
Of course
Saturdays I red an article in my local
paper about a Dane who had been in a German work camp during World War
II.
Never before he had been able to tell
or write about his traumatic experiences in Germany.
To most refugees it is however important
to write down their more or less traumatic stories.
Only one self knows when.
Today Tuesday 22nd of January 2002,
I was in Randers to make the last preparations before the sculpture is
moved.
A refugee, not one from our group, not
one the girl, not one the lads, not one of the men, came to me and asked
if he might tell his story and have it put into the boxes and on the Internet.
Fridays Morten and I talked to an Iranian
refugee that might be interested too.
Morten is class teacher 8th grade
of refugee children. They want to be in too.
Then we had this idea:
every refugee in the world, who want
to join our art work can do so.
