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We are all from everywhere - Travelers and Mediators

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traveler II: wanna know about my origin?

watch the launch of the two travelers

traveler I: I'll share my story too

TRAVELERS & MEDIATORS As part of our ongoing project AKWANAUTØYNA, DE JENZ journeyed to the Azores -another archipelago. Here we developed a prototype for TRAVELERS and MEDIATORS that explores who and what belongs or is native/invasive from different perspectives, both biological and human - over time. We made travelers -vertical floating poles, by splitting and pairing drift wood with wood that grow locally. To keep them upright and afloat in the sea, we equipped them with life vests and tied a lava stone to the bottom of each pole with hemp rope. Bamboo flutes inserted in the masts make the TRAVELERS whistle on their journey as they drift with the wind and ocean currents to new destinations. People who find them can learn about their origin by consulting their QR-codes.

Since 2021, DE JENZ is based on Nautøy, Norway's most western settlement with only 10 inhabitants in an island municipality of 768 people. While there is a flux of visitors, the population of this former fishing community is shrinking. In the 1980's Canadian Sitka Pine were planted to provide shelter on the stormy coast. The seedlings have since developed into dense forests and inhabitants talk about how this invasive species disrupts the cultural landscape. As newcomers we are intrigued to explore further what makes something or somebody endemic or native to a place and who and what belongs.