NORDIC ART EVENT: How to incorporated changes in a participatory art process? How to use photography and interviews to relate to and meet unknown people?

The project THINGS TEND TO BECOME DIFFERENT THAN YOU THINK (2010) was part of a ten-day artist-run event «ÆØÅ» in Klæbu (NO). It was a Mid-Nordic workshop with artist talks, mainly outdoor productions and an exhibition featuring eight Nordic artists from Finland, Sweden and Norway.

The artists was: Olli Juhani Kiviluoto (FI), Jussi Heikkila (FI), Maria Nordbäck (FI), Olof Ahlström (SE), Cathrine Johansson (SE), Vigdis Haugtrø (NO), Brynhild Bye (NO) and Audun Eriksen (NO).

Artistic work Brynhild Bye-Tiller – The process
THINGS TEND TO BECOME DIFFERENT THAN YOU THINK was a site spesific journalistic reportage with text, photo and an object, presented on the wall inside the local artist-run gallery. Half way through the workshop Bye-Tiller skipped the original idea to tell three stories about local women in Klæbu. Instead she presented 12 local stories about a young entrepreneur, a freelance journalist, a tutor in an elementary school, a store manager at Bunnpris, a firefighter, a Muslim woman during Ramadan, a municipal employee, a dog, a woman trying to find new accommodation and a woman who attended Yoga and dancing. Something else happened during the process and by following the "something else" she could focus on letting other things emerge. A method which was reflected in the title; "Things tend to become different than you think". The workshop gave me an opportunity to experiment with the process. Maybe even fail.

Artistic work Brynhild Bye-Tiller – Incorporating an ethical dilemma
An encounter with a Muslim woman became the biggest challenge. It became an ethical dilemma. After a whole day of shooting and conversations about current political topics, the woman approach Bye-Tiller the next day and asked her to delete the images because of Ramadan. According to the woman, it was not allowed to be photographed during Ramadan. Both the Imam and her husband became part of the discussion. Bye-Tiller has taken photos during prayer, cooking, cleaning and of the children playing. The question was; "Can anyone require an artist or a photographer or anyone else to delete their digital pictures?" Privacy and photography is part of an ethical debate.

– I've learned that legislation takes effect when a photo is to be published. Either online or in another public space.

After discussions with the woman, one picture of a dish in the oven was chosen to be a part of the exhibition. The ethical dilemma was incorporated in the exhibition and became an indirect comment through photography, text and installation. The text on the wall described how difficult it was, responding to the situation and actively using this experience to produce art. Commenting on something that did happend while keeping the woman anonymous. A Quran book written in Norwegian(Object) was incorperated in the exhibition and the public could read themself what's permitted during Ramadan.

The exhibition was deliberately presented in a "sketchy way", a little twisted and out of line with sticky notes in the text. This was done to take a stance against the traditional way of presenting art in a white gallery space.

PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK BRYNHILD BYE-TILLER

REPORTAGE: The journalistic reportage/the photographic work was a site-specific presentation of different local residents. A young entrepreneur, a freelance journalist, a tutor in an elementary school, a store manager at Bunnpris, a firefighter, a Muslim woman, a municipal employee, a dog, a woman trying to find new accommodation, and a woman who attended Yoga and dancing.
EXHIBITION BRYNHILD BYE-TILLER The text were descriptive notes made as a result of conversations and interviews.
PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK BRYNHILD BYE-TILLER

WORKSHOP/EVENT		EXHIBITION
Workshop period: August 20 th - 29 th 2010		Exhibition period August 21 th - September 5 th 2010.
Venue: Seminarplassen, Klæbu		Venue: Gallery No 1, Seminarplassen, Klæbu.
Art work: Interviews, meetings and shooting. Reviews: "Total make over", by Solveig Lønmo (NO) "Tänkta grenar", by Markus Llanto (SE) "ÆØÅ", by Markus Llanto (SE) More info seminarplassen.com and seminarplassen.com		Art work: Photographs, texts and an object. Details: 20 small-sized (A5) documentary photographs in color mounted on foamcore, 12 descriptive texts written on the wall surface next to each image and a book, the Quran written in Norwegian language, placed on a stool in the gallery. Photographs: 12 photographs of local people.