JOURNALS

It was really complete madness. Starting work with a person with whom I shared neither a common language nor a common cultural framework. And that the outcome of this cooperation should lead to a joint piece of work, -  the idea seemed increasingly more and more absurd. The day before Kiyonori’s arrival I felt extremely tense, even fearful.

We didn’t know each other; our respective languages literally belonged at opposite ends of the globe. But there seemed to be a common denominator in our artistic production. This was the only thing we knew.

That Friday Galleri F 15 was bathed in bright, late summer sunshine. We had met with the administrators, walked through the exhibition space, looked at the outside area and had a long lunch. Still little had been said between us, and for me the whole thing started to appear difficult and the lack of progress, somewhat torturous. The same sort of feeling you have when everybody else seem to rush past you brimming with ideas and enthusiasms, while you are left stumped. 

Machiko and Kiyonori wanted to take another look round the gallery and the outside area, and I decided to join them. Outside, next to two large trees,  Kyonori stopped and said that in Okayama, where he was from, there are some great old trees, some even a thousand years old. For myself I have a strong affinity with trees, in particular oaks. In the area of Sweden where I grew up, there are oaks that are also as old as a thousand years. Some are hollow from age and rotting, others have fabulous long branches that we could bounce on. We could climb into the crown of the tree, bringing drinks, sandwiches or rolls and live our entire lives there. So here we are outside F 15, - two artists who don’t know each other at all, with a totally different linguistic and cultural background and having only the memories of old trees as a common point of reference.

I don’t know if this acted as a kind of revelation or just clutching at straws. It doesn’t matter. Having started from scratch we had now found a common point of reference. After several rounds with a simultaneous translator at my studio, we gradually got acquainted. It became clear that we both wanted to use trees in our respective site-sensitive works. For our inside works our plans are still vague but we can envisage the dimensions and the space, and we have discussed possible module systems that can be used, and perhaps also be integrated. 

It is now that I start to understand the many levels at which Cultex operates; the artistic cooperation is just one of the elements. Communication and cultural differences both form other challenges. All of these elements are equally important to the outcome of the whole. It is exciting and extremely challenging.  In fact, it is a privilege to be a part of this.

Machiko and Kiyonori left a beautiful table in the flat they rented during their stay in Oslo. A small installation consisting of Japanese food with small hand written instructions for how the food should be prepared. Touching and beautiful. A gesture that speaks so much louder than a ream of words.  And soon I will be a guest in their country.