果冻传煤

I have always loved maps. Imagining unknown places through the symbols and lines of a map creates new landscapes in my mind.聽聽

狈辞谤迟丑听听

厂辞耻迟丑听

贰补蝉迟听听

奥别蝉迟听

Maps are always fixed in my consciousness, consistently balancing my knowledge of where, and intuitively calibrating聽my feeling of place.聽

The聽North has been my life arena. From before I considered challenging the term聽North, my experiences took place in the north of Norway. I even think my body is built for the聽North, as everything above 17聽Celsius聽feels聽rather unnecessary.聽I thought I lived in The North, with little understanding of the聽Arctic communities, homelands, cities,聽and lives north of me.聽

Whenever we would leave聽Troms酶, my hometown above the聽Arctic聽Circle, we would say we went south.聽It did not matter if we travelled to Spain on holidays, to Oslo to visit family,聽or聽to any other part of Norway.聽鈥淪酶rover鈥澛犫�� southbound 鈥� was not a fixed聽place, but聽was simply聽anything south of聽Troms酶.聽

East was Russia. Period.聽聽

West was the ocean.聽聽

A聽global view centering聽around the聽North聽Pole as the midst redefined my understanding of our global connections. When the opportunity to do an exchange at the 果冻传煤聽Museum rose聽a few years ago,聽I grabbed the possibility eagerly.聽A聽30-hour聽plane ride and 10-hour time difference later, I stepped out to a landscape so familiar 鈥� mountains, birch, fireweed, crisp air,聽the聽smell of聽the ocean鈥撯�揳ll as if聽I had travelled to聽a聽neighboring city in Norway. I felt an instant connection聽to this place, 5433km from my home鈥撯�揳聽connection and resemblance that never was emphasized on the maps present in my younger days. Even though west was Russia, east was land, south was still not a fixed place,聽north was the same.聽聽

The聽Sami and Norwegian聽artist Hans Ragnar聽Mathiesens聽work聽顿补惫惫颈谩濒产尘辞驳补迟听portrays聽a map of the聽Circumpolar聽North,聽where the midnight sun illustrates the middle.聽On the map,聽Mathiesen聽has included names of聽Indigenous peoples聽and their homelands, written in his聽Sami聽mother tongue. This map is part of a larger practice where聽Mathiesen聽uses聽Sami language,聽Sami place names and聽Sami聽ornaments聽on maps of聽Sapmi, Norway,聽and聽the Circumpolar聽Indigenous聽North. The accuracy, detail,聽and visual impact of these maps almost overrides the social impact it has had on Sami identity in the north of Norway. For me,聽his maps聽illustrate聽a loss in my own knowledgebase.聽These are names that my own聽Sami聽ancestors used for centuries, place names packed with understanding and closeness to nature, as well as relationships between people.聽聽Hi聽maps imply a relationship to place that聽was聽lost through the period of Norwegianization鈥撯�揳n official policy,聽the聽goal聽of which聽was to assimilate non-Norwegian-speaking聽Native populations into a uniform Norwegian population.聽I was a part of that uniformed population for most of my life.聽While I聽have always loved maps, by acquiring聽new knowledge,聽I redefined聽my own map through understanding new symbols,聽marks聽and family lines,聽and聽that聽has聽created聽a new landscape in my soul.聽

When looking for innovation and change,聽it is聽commonly recognized聽that the view is forward and that the aim is progress.聽I strongly believe that to look for a way forward,聽we need to investigate where we are today. When reading a map, it is essential to know where you came from, so you can position yourself to look for a way forward聽through聽having聽the聽perspectives of your surroundings.聽The biggest mistake we聽might make聽today is to think that聽there聽is only one uniform map describing our understanding of the past,聽our聽reading of our present society,聽or聽the聽imagining聽our future destination.聽聽

A friend showed me a poster the other day聽by聽Tove聽Jansson, the creator of Moomin. The poster stated:聽鈥淎ll things are so very uncertain, and that's exactly what makes me feel reassured聽(Jansson,鈥�).鈥澛�

Whatever maps we use,聽whatever聽terrain we are trying to read, and聽whatever path forward we look for,聽there is freedom in the uncertain聽and in the unknown. Every new step gives new information聽and a possibility to redefine the path.聽Knowing where you came from always gives better perspectives.聽聽

I still love maps, because I know I want to make the journey and imagine landscapes of tomorrow.