The case in summary • Apples and Diamonds hairdressing salon in Tønsberg has experienced vandalism three times in one week.• Among other things, the window has been sprayed with the word “gay” and partially broken.• Owner Else-Marie Kasmer decided to turn the vandalism into something positive. • She contacted illustrator Susanne Kittelsen to turn the vandalism into something beautiful.• The window is now filled with faces expressing frustration and love, and the letters have been left standing.• The incidents have been reported. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. A sad sight met the hairdressers in the small hairdressing salon Apples and Diamonds in Tønsberg on Tuesday morning. Someone had sprayed “gay” all over the window in orange letters. But this has not been the only incident in the past week. The pane has also been partially broken, and the window was sprayed with silver paint. – We were pissed off and really fed up, says Kasmer, who has run the salon for 18 years at the same location. Else-Marie Kasmer is a hairdresser and general manager at Apple and Diamonds hairdressing salon in Tønsberg. Photo: Vegard Lilleås / news – But I thought we should turn this into something positive and nice. The letters can stand She contacted illustrator Susanne Kittelsen and asked if she would help turn the vandalism into something beautiful. – I could feel the frustration and sadness through the messages I received from Else-Marie, says Kittelsen. She got around, made some sketches and took a marker and spray can down to town. – I don’t understand why they wrote what they wrote, but it could in any case be turned into something beautiful. Susanne Kittelsen is a creator and illustrator. – I mostly draw based on emotions, and this aroused a lot of emotions in me, she says. Photo: Vegard Lilleås / news And one thing was certain. The letters were to remain. They agreed on that. Now the window is filled with faces expressing feelings of frustration and love. Exactly the feelings Kittelsen felt when she saw what was written on the window. – This is how I work as an illustrator, that the feelings I have inside just come out. When it said gay, this work of art came. Reported to the police None of them understand why someone vandalized the salon. They also have no idea who it might be. All three incidents have been reported to the police. Knut Erik Ågrav is crime boss at Tønsberg police station. He confirms that the incidents in Øvre Langgate have been reported. Knut Erik Ågrav, section leader for investigations in the South-East police district. Photo: Philip Hofgaard / news – We have carried out crime scene investigations on the spot and secured traces which we have sent for investigation, he tells news. If it’s a hate crime, they can’t say anything about it until they know who did it. From swastika to food art It’s not the first time someone has made art out of hate. In Italy, street artist Pier Paolo Spinazzè covers hate messages with graffiti art of food. He precisely uses food to spread tasty values. The project is called Cibo and was started around 2008. – I’m simply tired of seeing all the hate. I can paint, so I will do it, he tells news. It is his way of giving back to society. He believes that everyone can do something to make the world a better place. The street art has been vandalized many, many times. But Spinazzè comes back and makes it even bigger. – People are happy and support my work. There are people messaging me to cover up hate messages in their neighborhood. Photo: cibo.oooo on Instagram Photo: cibo.oooo on Instagram Photo: cibo.oooo on Instagram Photo: cibo.oooo on Instagram Photo: cibo.oooo on Instagram Photo: cibo.oooo on Instagram Ready to speak Out of the window of the hairdresser’s salon in Tønsberg, you can see both hearts and flowers. That makes managing director Kasmer really happy and she is filled with good feelings. – It warms me to see this here. And we have received an enormous amount of nice messages of support from friends, family and customers who think that the way we have turned this around is a fantastically good solution. Illustrator Susanne Kittelsen reversed vandalism with love on the window of the hairdressing salon. Photo: Vegard Lilleås / news In the hairdressing salon, they are clear in their speech. – We strongly distance ourselves from those statements here. Love is love with us.
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Vandalism turned into art after vandalism in a hair salon in Tønsberg – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
