Can art and theater contribute to local democracy and increased participation in urban development? Worth a try, says Østfold International Theater and Company New Heroes, who are occupying Viken with the art project In Search of Democracy 3.0. 

WE DRAW YOUR DREAM FOR MOSS >>
WE DRAW YOUR DREAM FOR DRAMMEN >>
WE DRAW YOUR DREAM FOR FREDRIKSTAD >>
IN SEARCH OF DEMOCRACY 3.0 – PERFORMANCE >>

From 2020, people in Drammen, Fredrikstad, Moss, Hole and Sarpsborg have had their ideas for future hometowns drawn by professional illustrators – in 2023 we ad Halden to the list! In Search of Democracy 3.0 is an interactive art installation addressing certain urban development projects and areas by asking the people who live there how they would like the development process to go. We collect ideas by asking a simple question:

What are you missing?

Norway is changing. Not only are municipalities and counties merging, the physical landscape is also changing: motorways are made, new tunnels are being dug, port areas are being moved. It results in both joy and sorrow, depending on who you ask.

What kind of future public space would you like? How do you want the new urban development projects to be designed? Østfold International Theater asking you, living in the given areas. Then we illustrate your answer.

Illustration as participation

A specially designed installation is located centrally in the town /area in question. A team of professional illustrators sit around it, and invite passers-by to share their ideas for the city’s most recent development areas.

Each conversation results in a drawing that is immediately displayed in the installation. All illustrations will later be exhibited in various places in the city’s public spaces and other platforms.

A key point is that responsible developers and authorities in the relevant area will eventually have all the ideas handed over as input to the process. The more contributions, the greater the diversity of ideas!

On the drawing board, anything is possible!

In Search of Democracy 3.0 is produced together with – and is based on a concept by – the Dutch company New Heroes. The overall agenda of the art project In Search of Democracy 3.0 as a whole is to examine participation and local democracy.

Our Norwegian variant, which examines urban development and alternative forms of participation, was first implemented as part of Moss’ 2020 city anniversary. The area around the new railway station was in focus. The ideas that came in ranged from water slides for horses to an observatory and museum. View all the great suggestions here.

Credits

Concept: Lucas De Man, Pascal Leboucq, Kimberly Major (Company New Heroes)
Production management: Janiek Bouman (Company New Heroes)
Curator-producer Norway: James Moore (Østfold Internasjonale Teater)
Production Coordinator Norway: Fredrik Borgund (Østfold Internasjonale Teater)
Hosts: Anette H. Tømmerholen, Andrea Skotland, Carla Wexels Riser, Eskil Kristiansen, Ellen Røhr-Staff, Lotte Ibela Mofoss
Artists: Katarina Caspersen, Pia Evensen, Agnes Guttormsgaard, Guri Guri Henriksen, Sara Hjardar, Hans Gerhard Meier, Kjersti Synneva Moen, Simen Langeland, Thor Merlin Lervik, Camilla Wexels Riser, Katja Henriksen Schia, Mats Jørgen Sivertsen, Trine Louise Ween, Aurora Wilde, Mads Johan Øgaard.
Sponsored by: The project is part of the IN SITU Act which is supported by the EU program Creative Europe, and has also received support from Viken County Municipality, Byliv Moss and Kulturytring Drammen.

Reviews

[Translated from Norwegian] Draws our dreams for the Moss of the future.

Moss Avis 13.8.2020:
https://www.moss-avis.no

[Translated from Norwegian] In Search of Democracy 3.0 lowered the threshold for democratic participation to a level where even the most modest could feel safe and taken care of. At Kirketorget, there was literally a place at the table for everyone: Illustrators ready to draw sat prepared at their desks and waited for you to spend a few minutes talking about this and that regarding your opinion of Moss.

Arve Rød: Engasjement Moss!

Press photos

You can download press photos from the production here >>

Read more

• This projects also includes a performance (held in Fredrikstad and Moss in 2021):
  About In Search of Democracy 3.0, part 2 – performance here
• Engasjement Moss!  Art critic Arve Røds review of the prosject in Moss 2020 (in Norwegian)
• View all the drawings from Moss 2020 here
• Mossingenes drømmer for Sjøsiden og Nyquistbyen har blitt bok – Article from the presentation of the drawings to Moss municipality and Sjøsiden AS. (In Norwegian)
• Order a free colouring book with the dreams of Moss’ residents here!
• Kunstneres rolle i utvikling av Sjøsiden og Nyquistbyen Reader’s letter in Moss Avis by producer and curator James Moore (in Norwegian)

Press photos