Finally The Conference of the Birds made it to Selvær, an island in the Træna archipelago and home to a big but waning population of eiderducks, guillemots, seagulls, snipes, oystercatchers, curlews, skuas and other birds and a small community of around 50 people. We’ve been waiting patiently for two years, halted by the pandemic, to delve onto this amazing island off the northern shores of Norway where the collaboration between people and eiderducks go back millennia. What a true pleasure it was to work with amazingly creative and sensitive Karoline Hjorth and Riitta Ikonen (Eyesasbigasplates), inspiring and knowledgeable biologist Thomas Holm Carlsen, the very one and only, extraordinary eider duck chaperone in Selvær; Eivind Hansen and the absolutely marvellous eiderdown harpist (yes, cleaning eiderdown is like making music) Gerd Jakobsen and multitalented eider watchman Jann Sandøy on the neighbouring island of Sandøy. Not to forget fabulous Oddbjørg, Odd Jostein, Knut, Bjørn, Marte, Magne as well as everyone else who generously helped us with practical matters, boat transport, technical assistance and delightful fish dinners! Thank you all for warmheartedly and so generously welcoming us all and sharing your knowledge and experience about life and the birds with us and patiently being adorned with the treasures of the ocean and portrayed on outer skerries. We are foreever grateful!
Now we will mull and puzzle, make and keepsake, edit and credit you all, only to return and show the work we have made next summer. Ahoo Ahoo!
Thank you Nordisk kulturråd, Kulturkontakt Nord, Barentskult, KORO, Nordnorsk kunstnersenter og BKV Billedkunstnernes vederlagsfond for making it possible!
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