← Back to projects

Times Square Kirkenes-Nikel

OLGA & ALEXANDER FLORENSKY, St Petersburg
BLUE NOSES (Yevgeny Ivanov, Viacheslav Mizin, Alexander Shaburov), Moscow
LOS TORREZNOS (Rafael Lamata & Jaime Vallaure), Madrid
ANDREAS NILSSON & MIKEL CEE KARLSSON, Malmo
Idea: Pikene på Broen, Kirkenes
Video installation, re-make 2009

Kirkenes and Nikel constitute the heart of the Pomor Zone and are considered to form a hot spot in the Barents Region. But this regional strategic role is in contrast to their small town atmosphere and obvious lack of urbanity. During the Barents Spektakel 2008 the Town Square of Kirkenes was turned into “Times Square” with outdoor screens showing video films made by the invited artists´ groups about the neighbouring towns Kirkenes and Nikel. “Times Square Kirkenes–Nikel” is an attempt to lift the status of these towns and turn them into Barents metropolises.

In their project «Promoting eternal values» O&A Florensky advertise brands and symbols of Kirkenes and Nikel in a «black-and-white ads» manner, with charming irony and humour.
The video “Kirkenes & Nikel: Feel the Difference” by Blue Noses voices stereotypes of “the Russian town” Kirkenes and captures possibilities of border-crossing labour market: Kirkenes is re-opening its mines and Nikel is expecting its Nickel Plant to close down.
Andreas Nilsson & Mikel Cee Karlsson remembered Nikel as one of the most haunting places they had ever been to. “Call it in”: a zombie-town with relics from the communist era, still with a strong feeling of longing and of hope in people.
Los Torreznos got inspired by the festival slogan “Border-Crossing Exercises” and finished their video with: “When you cross the border, if you look back – the border is still there, and it is still in front of you”.

Los Torreznos

Blue Noses

O&A Florensky

Andreas Nilsson

Times Square Kirkenes

The installation in Oslo

The installation in Murmansk