Riksarkivet (The National Archival Services of Norway) in Oslo, Eivind Lentz
Based on a satellite photograph of Riksarkivet (The National Archival Services of Norway) I explore the relationship between analogue and digital information; between map and photo – thematising the historical divide which arose when The National Archival Services of Norway moved from analogue to digital storage tools. The challenges The National Archival Services of Norway met in connection with the digital archives spawned ideas connected to information based on technology. I ordered an image from the satellite Quickbird, which orbits 450 kilometres away, thus it might be more to the point to define this as a dataset of information. This set of data is multi-spectral, i.e. containing five channels of colour instead of the normal three. The thermal activity close in time is visible through infrared markings revealing recent movement in the landscape and other information otherwise not visible to the naked eye. From this set of data I have produced five different pieces for Riksarkivet.
Peker (Cursors) is a 42 square metres piece weighing 300 kilograms. Large in extent, simple in expression; Peker is a computer pointer, the small arrow by which one navigates on a PC. The piece is white, painted with rubber paint, marking a direction. From the satellite’s dataset we see the pointer pointing in the direction of the new wing of Riksarkivet.
Nord (North) shows Riksarkivet on the rim between the urban and the rural, with the actual building placed near the rural (the wooded area to the north of Oslo). The piece springs from the satellite image, but has been manipulated and colour saturated. The technique chosen refers to the activity of Riksarkivet as I made use of special archivists ink on special archivists photo paper (100-year ink - acid free).
116 x 232 is made with special archivists inkjet colour, stuck on 2 mm aluminium, mounted in a custom made oak moulding with corresponding inner moulding and with non reflective UV glass (so called museum glass).
Sør (South) has the same theme and technique, but shows Riksarkivet in relation to the urban Oslo. Nord and Sør have been placed in different conference rooms in Riksarkivet.
3–2–1 is a piece made with pigment-based UV-varnish (digital serigraphy) printed directly onto glass. The technique causes the colours to become stronger with time. The piece does not hold the multi-spectral dimension - only the three colours - which brings about a more discreet expression that the pieces Nord and Sør.
168 x 168 cm is made on tempered glass with a two-component inkjet colour printed directly onto the surface of the glass.
Døren (The door) shows 36 multi-spectral variations of the pointer placed outside in the square. 78 x 174 cm is printed on the glass door leading into the auditorium. Screensaver relates to the space between the physical and the digital, between Riksarkivet as a physical location and the satellite’s dataset of Riksarkivet. Based on the dataset, a new dataset has been composed creating continuous new variations and experiences. Screensaver will appear on the monitors of all visitors. The staff may also used it if they so desire. This way a line is drawn from a point outside the earth’s atmosphere and down to each individual desk.
