#6 reorientation: re birth

#5 flexibility: External Forces

DAV: All encounters in life are reunions after long times apart | Sam

A long time ago, a Norwegian girl went to Paris alone to study. She could not really speak French at that time, so as one boy from the Far East in the class. That is a good reason they stayed together all day. Since they do not have a common language, the communication was often using body language, but somehow they managed to understand each other, and became very close friends.

The girl left Paris suddenly. In the era of writing letters, they have never heard from each other again.

40 years later the girl has became a great Norwegian artist. After one of her personal exhibition is held, she receive an email:

"Anne Katrine, are you? I'm Nishino!"

The boy, Nishino Yoshiaki is now the director of the The University Museum, The University of Tokyo. As a professor he published books about art, books making, Japanese-French related. He then sent the girl his works, all the way from Japan to the edge of the world. He visited Norway afterward. The two good friends can finally communicate by fluent English and French, Nishino stayed in the small blue house at the beach for a few days, they climbed the mountain together even they are both more than 60 years old. Nishino read and loved some of the girl's poems, so he create a very special book for these poems, as a gift to his dearest friend.

And that is the story of A K Dolven.

I was very touch by the story, as a lone wanderer for all these years. Remind me of all these friends in my life, we could not really fully communicate because of the languages, but showed mutual support, helping and caring. Sadly I have not heard from some of them for a long time.

Dolven could never imagine that there would be another boy from the Far East, talking to her in her own house, the "Edge of the world", reading Nishino's book and her poetry in the small blue house, and climb with her together.

She wants us to spend few days on thinking about "time". I was, and I am still thinking of this great friendship and its story. It reminds me of my favorite quote:

"All encounters in life are reunions after long times apart."

Dedicated to A K Dolven and Nishino Yoshiaki

#4 fieldwork: Past, Present, Future | Sam

During the trip I keep eyeing on the relationship between Lofoten and Human: no matter the locals or outsiders. Lofoten is a hidden gem, and providing what all people need. I divided to 3 main categories: Fishery, Tourism and Regeneration. But then chase back to what I have been thinking in the blue house -- time, realized that I am actually looking at Lofoten with its past, present and future.

1 Fishery: Past | Present

- History
- Modern fishery industry
- Abandoned ports

2 Tourist: Present | Future

- Resources: the landscape = sight seeing
- Opportunity for business
- Threats: Overloading in summer time

3 Regeneration: Future | Past

- Reuse of the abandoned buildings/ports
- Artists' activities
- A. K. Dolven: Connection between Lofoten and outside world

#3 vulnerability: case study of Nyksund

#2 imbrication: How history changed the landscape of Lofoten | Samping

Key Word: Economic Activities

#1 complexity | Samping

Key word: Home


Let's start with a simple question: Can you tell when is this pictured?

You might believe me if I say it is from the 70's. In fact this is a picture I took few days ago, and simply edited it on computer - What I am trying to bring out is, my impression of the city of Bergen, or in fact, Norway itself, it is an alive historical book. It has been living in the same way as it was built on day one, and will stands in the same way forever. Its stories can actually be told by its current urban tissue, landscape, economical and cultural activities. As Messy written on "For Space", 'the "presentness" of the horizontality of space is a product of a multitude of histories whose resonances are still there, if we would but see them, and which sometimes catch us with full force unawares.'

This is somehow lacking in my hometown, Hong Kong. After decades of high-speed development, the city is now a total concrete jungle, with still increasing huge amount of population and lack of living space and public space, turning into one of the most unlivable city. All historical and valuable memories were buried down, so as our place attachment to our living place - how can we consider a place as our home when we face only concrete and high-rise buildings everyday, breathe no fresh air and not seeing the sky, and all the memories of the city were wiped out?

So when I start looking at Lofoten, it is actually cordial: Lofoten and Hong Kong shared some much in common. However as mentioned earlier, the space was changed, mainly by the choice of the people living there, Lofoten was the one to be able to last. I keep wondering if my birthplace could have been last like Lofoten, to be close to natural, to be live in a place with all the connection with history and present and future... I wonder if I were born as a fisherman in Lofoten. I wonder if Lofoten is actually my true home.

Heading to Lofoten is like homecoming.