VAGRANT

an exhibition and a dialog room about the vulnerability of seabirdsArtists: Alexander Rishaug, Toril Bonsaksen, Eva Bakkeslett, Vibeke Steinsholm, Maja Bugge, Elin Már Øyen Vister and KVAE & BARK.

Nhen people and birds come together!

In VAGRANT , artists from Norway, England and Iceland meet to create exhibitions, performances and relational projects about the life of seabirds in the past and future at two different locations in Nordland: The first location is in Bodø, Norway, April 2-6, 2024 during the SOUND OF SILENCE seabird symposium. The second location is a year later, on Gangarøya in World Heritage Vega, in July 2025. The venue for the project in April 20224 is in and around Beddingen Project Room/Prosjekt67 in Bodø harbor. Some of the artists will also be showing their work at Fleinvær on April 4 during day two of the Seabird Symposium.

The background to the project is our common need to say something about the vulnerable situation of seabirds under the major natural and climate changes that are largely affecting the coast. The seabirds' nesting opportunities and areas are being reduced, bird islands are being blown up for industrial use, the seaweed belt, which is the eider duck's food bowl, is being harvested for the seaweed industry and climate change is creating climate refugee seabirds. 

The title VAGRANT refers to the stage of change in populations where birds go from being solid flocks to becoming small groups and individual animals, also called vagrants or strays. This is the situation for many of today's seabirds, which are in danger of losing their places and their flocks, making them particularly vulnerable.

In Bodø, the project is being carried out in collaboration with the Sound of Silence (SOS) seabird symposium, which is the Vega World Heritage Site's major mobilization for seabirds in Bodø24. National and international researchers, authors, artists and birdwatchers from several places in Nordland participate in this symposium, and the municipal and county administrations are also represented to find possible solutions to the seabirds' precarious situation.

At Beddingen Prosjektrom/Prosjekt67 there will be an exhibition with a sound installation by Alexander Rishaug, sculptural works by Toril Bonsaksen and poetic eider houses by KVAE & BARK, as well as a musical performance by cellist Maja Bugge.

At Fleinvær, Eva Bakkeslett will show a film from Sandøy in Træna. Elin Már Øyen Vister also creates a fantastic soundtrack to the Seabird Symposium's dialogues and lectures at Ungdomshuset in Fleinvær. Elin has documented the vulnerable life of seabirds on Røst for several years, and has created several soundscapes based on this painstaking documentation.

Workshops and communication in connection with VAGRANT

• Opening of the exhibitions will take place during the Seabird Symposium on April 3 at 16.00.
• During the exhibitions, children from Breivika Barnehage will create a bird village in Breivika, modeled on the traditions of the Northland coast's eider houses. This can be visited by the public.
• Schools and kindergartens in Bodø are invited to listen, draw, scratch and talk about the exhibition and the birds' life in Bodø City.  
• The people of Bodø are invited to come to an open exhibition between April 2 and 6. Artists are present in the exhibition.

As part of VAGRANT , the exhibition "The Seabird Archive on the Way Home" is also being shown, which is an exhibition based on the Seabird Archive UIT/ Brattrein 1975-78. The exhibition was created by birdwatcher and artist Vibeke Steinsholm in collaboration with architect Magnus Vågan. The exhibition provides a documentary, in-depth insight into the stewardship traditions of harvesting and gathering in the bird refuges along the entire Nordland coast from Vega and Brønnøyværene in the south to Steigen in the north.

April 3 - 6: First screening in Bodø during the seabird conference Sound of Silence - SOS

Opening hours 11.00 - 17.00

Tour along the Nordland coast

1. - July 10 Vega during World Heritage Vega's 20th anniversary.

July 12 - 13 - Brønnøysund probably Tørrfiskbrygga/ quay

July 14 - 15 - Træna on Husøya

16 - 18 July Givær in Bodø

July 18 - 21 Bodø during Forbundet kystens landsstevne.

SOS - CHILDREN & YOUTH

The bird village in Breivika

In collaboration with Breivika Kulturbarnehage in Bodø, a bird village is being created on the shore right next to the kindergarten in Breivika. The aim is to give the children insight into how we work with eider ducks both in Vegaøyan and the other bird sanctuaries along the Nordland coast. The kindergarten is also connected to Olaug Olsen and her work with eider ducks in Givær in Bodø municipality. At the end of May, the group of 5-year-olds from Breivika Barnehage goes on a trip to Givær to meet Olaug's eider ducks that are nesting there. We hope this connection will continue.

By creating the bird village, the children learn about bird behavior, what they like to do when they hatch, who they need to be protected from, and how to feed eider ducks and other ducks so that they seek out people. The houses they are building are inspired by the stone house tradition in Nordland, as well as div architecture for birds from the rich Nordland tradition. This will be a village that will continue to grow over the years, and hopefully some of Bodø City's eider ducks will be able to nest at Barnehagen i Breivika.

Silent train

Ahead of the Seabird Conference in Bodø in April, young people in Vega have learned about the situation of seabirds and made bird masks of their favorite seabird. During the conference, the young people go bird watching and participate in discussions and the conference. On April 3, at the end of day 1, during the seabird conference, these young birders lead the way in a silent train through the streets of Bodø to the opening of the VAGRANT exhibition at Beddingen Kulturhus and on to the Bird Village in Breivika Kindergarten.