The Place of Shade
The Place of Shade is an exhibition of artistic research into contemporary Norwegian culture in South Africa. Norwegians, began operating within the British colonial framework from around 1840—the same period as the migration to America. Lutheran missions, whaling, farming, business and family characterise this almost 200 year Afri-Norge diasporic heritage. It has been almost entirely overlooked in visual culture, until now. Following the depletion of Whales in the Nordic seas, Norwegian immigrants almost single-handedly established the whaling operations in Durban from 1908 onwards. Their legacy remains an integral component of both the city and indeed the province’s socio-cultural fabric to this day. With this in mind, we sought out the ghosts of Larsen, Hermansen, Egeland and more from New Pier to Kwambonambi; we found them. The project is an act of psychogeography, insofar as it hinges upon ‘the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behaviour of individuals.’ The images, paintings, film and text that make up the exhibition are the culmination of this process. The attempt by a disparate group of individuals, at once insiders and outsiders, to understand how legacy takes shape and how it has reshaped our understanding of Home. By living with and meeting Norwegian decedents this project was possible. We thank all who were so kind and eager to connect again with their roots. The Place of Shade is a multiphase artistic research project. This phase seeks to share some of the initial research as we continue to work towards the production of a publication and articles.
