The artist duo DE JENZ (Vibeke Jensen & Santiago De Waele) is based on a remote island with 10 inhabitants, situated among the western-most archipelago on the Norwegian coast. There they explore critical interfaces with the coastal environment and engage in collaborations between the local community and international artist that reflect the potential of not making a distinction between culture and nature – to create a more symbiotic, rather than exploitative, way of understanding the world around us.
After decades of traveling the world and living in big cities like Rome, New York, London and Berlin (Vibeke), and the medieval city of Brugge (Santiago), we have joined up and live and work in a 99 year old schoolhouse next to a stone jetty. Their moving from metropolises to a small island and the shift in perspective accompanying the way of life in harsh coastal landscapes has created a new way of awareness, attention and togetherness with nature – AKWANAUTØYNA – in which landscape, life and art merge into one.
During the residency they want to discover what is specific and unique about the twin cities of Valga and Valka from different perspectives, historic as well as contemporary. They are looking to find the special things in the place’s history, situation and context, current challenges and textures that can be brought out and manifested through a spatial intervention. De Jenz wishes to connect with local schools, art organisations, craft workshops, older people and others with local knowledge. They hope to engage with local youth and people with different perspectives to
discover unused potentials, transform potent spaces into informal gathering places for unprogrammed thoughts and actions,
and engage in performative actions that generate
new memories and connections.
Come and see what De Jenz is doing in Valga on April 27 and 28.
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