Finding objects, connecting dots

Exploring serendipity as interruptive artistic strategy for audience interaction in public spaces

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7577/ar.5797

Keywords:

art and public spaces, serendipity, interruption, artistic practice, weeding, public libraries

Abstract

Between 2017 and 2019, I created three temporary artistic interventions in public spaces in which passers-by could discover, interact with or ignore different materials related to libraries as social, public systems. During my work with the first, Expired Outdoors (2017), serendipity emerged as a principle I became interested in exploring further. In two consecutive installations, serendipity gradually manifested itself both as an interface between my installations and their audience and as a creative strategy guiding my choices of contexts and materials. Upon invitation from editor Olga Schmedling, in this article I discuss aspects of serendipity in the three projects, proposing to understand serendipity as instances of interruption rather than as accidental discovery.

Author Biography

Hild Borchgrevink, Independent artist, MFA in Art and Public Spaces from Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO)

Hild Borchgrevink is an artist, writer, and researcher. She holds an MFA in Art and Public Spaces from Oslo National Academy of the Arts KHiO, an MA in musicology (Oslo University) and degrees in creative writing. Currently she is a research fellow at the Norwegian State Academy of Music, and co-curates Public Art Norway’s STUDIO project with Merete Røstad at the Faculty of Arts, Music and Design at the University of Bergen.
www.hildborchgrevink.no

References

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Borchgrevink, H. (2017a). Expired Indoors [Mixed. Temporary installation, Reception Gallery. Part of the exhibition Agreement between seasons, MFA in Art and Public Spaces, Oslo National Academy of the Arts.].

Borchgrevink, H. (2017b). Expired Outdoors [Mixed. Temporary installation in public space. Part of the exhibition Agreement between seasons, MFA in Art and Public Spaces, Oslo National Academy of the Arts.].

Borchgrevink, H. (2018). Expired Kristiansand [Mixed. Temporary sound installation. Part of exhibition Avskygninger, Kristiansand kunsthall og bibliotek]. http://www.kristiansandkunsthall.no/utstillinger/open-call

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Child writing with wooden letters

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Published

2024-04-07

How to Cite

Borchgrevink, H. (2024). Finding objects, connecting dots: Exploring serendipity as interruptive artistic strategy for audience interaction in public spaces. Nordic Journal of Art & Research, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/ar.5797

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2024): Researching public art and public space, part 2

Section

Articles, peer reviewed

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Copyright (c) 2024 Hild Borchgrevink

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