news has mentioned how many mountains in Lofoten have been met by a person with an angle grinder. Recently it happened again. Just a few weeks after an eye was carved into the rock wall at Skottinden, Store Skrådalstinden was also exposed to angle grinders, according to Lofot-Tidene. On the mountain Skottinden, the perpetrator has scratched an eye that measures under 20 centimeters in length. Photo: Private The Norwegian Environment Agency is clear that this is damage. – I think it’s a big deal if it’s going to spread that people engage in tagging, tagging or similar things. There are many visitors and it will quickly become very unattractive. That’s what Trond Flydal, head of section at the legal section for natural diversity in the Norwegian Environment Agency, says. UNTOUCHED: – Most people appreciate that things are untouched and that you have nature where people don’t notice them. Photo: Stein Roar Leite / news – Regrettably, Flydal believes the encroachment could potentially ruin the tour experience. – It is very regrettable that someone continues with such business. It must be assumed that it is an activity that can slightly spoil the value of the experience for other walkers. – Can it be seen as today’s form of rock art? – We have had similar problems related to tagging. I think it is more natural to compare it to that type of activity. – There are many similarities with tagging. Tagging is a form of graffiti, often stylized name signatures, which are spray-painted or written on walls, public toilets and the like. – There are several pieces of legislation that can regulate this type of business. Professor: – Can become great art Experts news has spoken to, on the other hand, believe that it does not have to be so black and white. Professor of arts and crafts at Nord University, Ellen Marie Sæthre-McGuirk, believes that vandalism that goes beyond cultural monuments is very problematic. At the same time, something can have great future cultural-historical value, according to Sæthre-McGuirk. – It is actually the case that something can become great art that we do not consider to be great art today. There is not necessarily a straight forward definition of one or the other. – Maybe it will turn out in a thousand years that this particular eye is the thing that the people of the future will remember, think about and reflect on, when they think about what life was like in the 2000s and in 2022. And maybe not. In other words, the definition of what becomes what of cultural-historical value is not straight forward. SKILLE: – The case with the skier can definitely be defined as vandalism. When it comes to modern drawings, it can be more difficult to see where the distinction should go. Photo: Espen Hansen Kvikstad In most cases, however, similar interventions in nature are unnecessary, according to Sæthre-McGuirk. – Many people like to draw, but it is not necessarily all these drawings that our society and all of humanity need to preserve for many thousands of years to come. I think showing respect for nature is a good approach for those cases. – But to what extent these objects will be great art in the future, time will tell. Vandalism or art? Art historian Tommy Sørbø notes: – It’s not exactly great art. On the other hand, there is a great deal of installation and art today, which has no particular craftsmanship or technical, cognitive quality. PROFESSIONAL: Sørbø mentions more professional expressions, such as Skulpturlandskap Nordland or what is called landscape art. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen – So maybe they are a little inspired by it, and think “when others can put a stone here or declare a tree a work of art, I guess I can do mine too”. Tommy Sørbø says that he carved himself into the rock face as a boy. Admittedly, he didn’t use an angle grinder. Sørbø says it is very human that individuals want to create things. He believes it is natural for humans to want to leave a mark. – Changing nature by saying “here I was”, is not exactly unknown to being human. Sørbø describes the intervention in the rock face as a form of counter-reaction to all the development taking place in the world. – Otherwise, there is an awful lot of damage all around when you see low four-lane motorways and the violent encroachments on nature. On the other hand, he understands that the Norwegian Environment Agency is vandalizing it. He himself believes that it is not a problem, as long as it does not affect cultural heritage. – I understand that the Norwegian Environment Agency calls it vandalism. But I don’t think it is particularly problematic when it is in those dimensions, and when it is in places where it is not very exposed to many people and near cultural monuments. Art or not – it can be punishable. The practice may be in conflict with these laws: The Criminal Code The Natural Diversity Act The Outdoors Act – It leaves its mark, which seems to be quite lasting. It is clear that if everyone were to engage in that type of activity, it would become very visible. And I think that’s regrettable, says Flydal in the Norwegian Environment Agency.
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– Can become great art – news Nordland
