1. THE HERRING MAIL
Blood Orange Sunset
Sunday 7th of June 2009: special edition Djupavik Daily
To read the article by our correspondent in the west-fjords Halldór Laxness turn to page 3
EDITORIAL
Danielle van Zuijlen
It started off with fun. A puzzle of 2000 pieces to be made in
the gallery arrived with the post in Gallery Sign in Groningen.
Nice metaphor for this project, I thought, while puzzling which
living person I could seduce to actually put this thing together.
The picture on the box showed blue skies, mountains and a
little red house with white windows on an idyllic island in the
sea. Close enough to what it must be like in Djupavik - the
outpost in Iceland where Sign had sent six artists, with the ins-
tructions to post their daily artistic efforts to The Netherlands.
When I found out it was a Norwegian Fjord, the solution for
the puzzle seemed easy – discard as irrelevant. Since that’s
what I was commissioned to do: filter incoming post from the
artists in Djupavik, and create meaning out of this ‘stream of
information’. A Norwegian Fjord doesn’t necessarily help this
process. But the comic that was sent via email, visualizing the
artists in Djupavik working on a puzzle with palm trees in a
cold and leaking Herring Factory, was provocative enough.
And since half of the crew that constitutes Sign, i.e. Ron Rit-
zerfeld, happened to have a past with puzzles, there was hope.
Ron even showed a slight sign of disappointment when I sug-
gested we could organize a daily tea & puzzle session, inviting
old ladies and gentlemen into the gallery.
A solution for all the other fragments that arrived in the gal-
lery with the post, in beautiful parcels covered with stamps
of exotic animals, plants and dead politicians, was less easily
found. Six individuals in a remote place, huddled together in
a small guest house, sending evidence of their attempts to get
to grips with the unforgivingness of Nature. Maps and docu-
ments of the place arrived: drawings, texts, letters, videos, the
inevitable tourist photos, weather reports, ideas for approaches
going in many different directions. Little things. It is strangely
exciting and also a bit embarrassing suddenly having so much
handcrafted post addressed to you by people you don’t know
at all. Old-fashioned, recalling pre-internet memories of se-
condary school. A similar generosity reaches me every day
via the answering machine, where I find a message of today’s
weather in Djupavik.
Unwrapping the first parcels was a feast (the highlight being
a melted snowball with suggestions what could be done with
it in the gallery) - the next steps turned out to be much more
problematic. The delay in the post and limited possibilities
for communication, as well as the sheer quantity and diver-
ging status of the material (and consequently the time it takes
only even to go through all this) made it impossible to get
a ‘normal’ dialogue going between Sign and Djupavik. With
the post taking ten days to arrive, I am reacting to decisions
made weeks ago. The past weeks I have been witnessing starts
of projects, work in progress of six different people, most of
them, like myself, clearly struggling how to deal with the pa-
rameters of this project.
to be continued on page 3
page 10
A candlelight
vigil laun-
ched in me-
mory of the
snow
Residency in
Hawaii:
Apply now!
page 24
The new
sound
of ...
‘Explaining Everything to Everybody’, invisi-
ble text, drawings and drawing descriptions,
Arna Ottarsdottir
‘Another Turn of the Screw’, a play by
Aafke Weller and Adrien Tirtiaux
Documentation of installation, ‘A visual reso-
nance’ , Sidsel Genee
‘My Land Art Attempts’, Adrien Tirtaux
‘there is a ball with a rugged surface...’, Aafke
Weller
Photographs with text, remnants of aban-
doned ideas, Emily Norton
‘The Imaginative Library’ , Aafke Weller
‘Have Art, Will Travel’, album reviews and
photographs of folding chair/backpack with
earbuds. Erla Silfa Hordvik Thorgrimsdottir
‚The Djupavik Collection’, products designed
for the conditions particular to this experi-
ence, Emily Norton
‘the reflection of sunlight…’, video still, Sidsel
Genee
-

2. 2 THE HERRING MAIL
Another
turn
of the
screw
a play in 7 acts
by Aafke Weller and Adrien Tirtiaux
Act 1
Around the dinner table in Alfasteinn house
Architect: Still, I don’t think this building needs to
contain an artwork of any kind.
Girl 2: Then, what would you suggest?
Architect: There is a staircase missing in the main
space of the factory. I will design and
build it; this would be my contribution
to the space.You could consider it a
part of the exhibition as you like.
Girl 1: That is very nice, the owners alread
planned to build a staircase.You’d do
them a favour.
Girl 2: [excited] It could function in other
ways than just a staircase.We could
integrate a stage and a place to store
the mess lying around. We could use
it as a small cinema... or as a bar!
Girl 1: It should be a flexible structure: one
that gives access to the upper floors
and could close them off just as easily.

3. 7th JUNE 2009 3continued from frontpage
----------------
I decided to make all the material equally accessib-
le for visitors to the gallery, in the way I received
it: unwrapped parcels, laid out on tables cut to the
content of the parcel. I began photographing all
the objects, archiving and coding them into a gro-
wing and spread-out archive, trusting that at a cer-
tain moment things would fall into place. The fact
that all parcels and messages are addressed to me
personally, makes the visitor who walks through
the archive aware of my presence, as the person
who apparently knows all about Djupavik. After
three weeks I still have difficulties in painting a
clear picture. The Inbox is full and will obviously
keep filling now that the project in Djupavik is
reaching its conclusion. Over here in Groningen,
there is a week left for the final post from Dju-
pavik to arrive, and for me to make sense. I have
posted a little helper to Djupavik for the closing
event on June 12th: a lotto machine that gives the
power to what I will talk about to the public of
that evening, back to the artists in Djupavik. They
will draw the numbers for my guided tour through
the archive of their material.
As this project moves forward, more and more
instructions to build this and do that end up on
my desk. I treat them like tennis balls. I find a
person to direct the ball to, talk about it with en-
thusiasm and let it take its course. Some things
come back to the gallery, others don’t. In order to
speed up the process, the puzzle of the Norwegi-
an Fjord eventually traveled to ‘Grijs Genoegen’
(Grey enough / Grey delight), a local Salvation
Army social club for oldies. When it came back
with clear progress, there was extra motivation
with both Ron and visitors to the gallery to keep
going, and at the moment of writing there are just
some open patches of the air left.
Danielle van Zuijlen, Ghent / Groningen, June
7th, 2009
With many thanks to Ron Ritzerfeld and Marie
Jeanne Ameln, staff of Sign, for all their support.
From our correspondent in the West-
fjords, Halldór Laxness:
Jetzt hat die Regierung die Einfuhr
und den Verkauf von anderen Früch-
ten als getrockneten und gepressten
Datteln aus Nigeria ohne Genehmi-
gung des Ministeriums verboten: der
Handel damit ist der Stockfischgesell-
schaft gestattet (die Gesellschaft kennt
das Leben). Leute, die an chronischer
Unterernährung und Magenbeschwer-
den leiden, können – jedoch nicht
ohne Zustimmung des Gesundheits-
ministers – die Bewilligung erhalten,
wöchentlich eine Zitrone zu sich zu
nehmen auf ärztliches Rezept, das sie
gegen Empfangsbescheinigung des
staatlichen Früchteburos abzugeben
haben; Zitrone ist in Gegenwart von
zeugen zu verzehren. Den Fuchsfar-
men des Landes dabei besonderes dem
neuen Nationaltier Islands, dem Mink,
ist die Aufgabe yugedacht, die Valuta-
schwierigkeiten des Landes yu losen.
________
continues on page 8

4. 4 THE HERRING MAIL

5. CLIMBED DOWN, AND UP AGAIN, AND SAW INSIDE
7th JUNE 2009 5
CLIMBED UP AND LOOKED DOWN
THE TANK TRIALS
May 22, 2009
Up until a few days ago I have avoided the tank, I felt it too obvious a
space to enter, let alone utilize. However, as I tracked the movement of the
smoke stack from the birds-eye view at the summit of the waterfall, and
considered sundials, I noticed that the top of one of the tanks could act as
the perfect planar surface for a sundial. After descending from the hill I
climbed the exterior ladder of the tank to consider this concept. On top of
the tank I found a portal, a square opening. I saw a stark geometric form cast
in light along the curve of the interior tank wall. A skewed rectangle drew
me down the ladder inside the tank. I wanted to follow its arc and track its
transformations. The following morning I set up my tripod, and began this
study. ½ hr increments between shots allowed enough time for the shape to
shift and travel in distinctive frames. It became an exercise in searching for
a semblance of schedule in this place where time has been washed out by
light.
The weather broke, the sun came out and revealed the way Djupavik
responds to light; how, when, and where it’s shadows are cast. I noticed the
arc created by the silhouette stretching from the smoke stack as it moved
over Djupavik throughout the course of the day. I realized it has the potential
to act as the rod of a sundial on a grand scale. By using the sunlight in its
direct relationship with this factory, as a means to mark and measure time
itself, which has become confused without the darkness of night. I am not
sure how this idea might develop and finally be realized, but the first step
was gaining a bird’s eye-view of Djupavik. That view is possible from
where the waterfall cascades off the cliffs behind the factory. Until today it
has been impossible to reach that vantage point, due to too much snow, and
strong winds. But today I scampered up the mountainside, in search of a new
perspective on Djupavik, and the time that has become just a shadow here.
SMOKE STACK SUNDIAL
May 14, 2009

6. Another Turn of the Screw
Act 2
Around the dinner table in Alfasteinn house
Architect: [presents his drawings to the girls]
I designed this staircase: it is a single,
compact volume, independent from
the existing architecture.The main
structure is made of the wooden
beams we’ve been given. It contains
both stairs they need, but they go up
in two phases. Like this we create two
extra platforms that allow you to
consider the space from different
angles.
Girl 2: I like the platforms; they can be used
for many purposes. But why not use
the column as a support? It is already
in the space.
Girl 1: Why don’t you take the existing stairs
as an example?
Architect: It is a contemporary gesture; it should
work with and within the space as an
autonomous object. You should not
mimic the past but provide the solu-
tions of the future with present
means!
Girl 2: Isn’t that a bit arrogant…? You make
it so self-contained…
Architect: The object is imposing, but as a
separate entity it shows a lot of res-
pect for the factory. On this drawing it
looks massive, but it should work
rather transparent, allowing the natu-
ral light to pass through, creating sha-
dow plays on the concrete...
Girl 2: That’s awesome! We could build to-
gether…
[silence]
Girl 1: I don’t feel like being your assistant.
You would merely exploit us girls for
your own fame, that‘s such a cliché…
so ugly… I really can’t stand that.
Girl 2: No, it is not about that. It is about
doing something together, combining
forces, making a gesture as a group…
THE EMPEROR‘S NEW CLOTHES
By H.C. Andersen
Suggested by Sidsel Genee
Many years ago, there was an Emperor, who
was so excessively fond of new clothes, that he
spent all his money in dress. He did not trouble
himself in the least about his soldiers; nor did he
care to go either to the theatre or the chase, ex-
cept for the opportunities then afforded him for
displaying his new clothes. He had a different
suit for each hour of the day; and as of any other
king or emperor, one is accustomed to say, „he
is sitting in council,“ it was always said of him,
„The Emperor is sitting in his wardrobe.“ Time
passed merrily in the large town which was
his capital; strangers arrived every day at the
court. One day, two rogues, calling themselves
weavers, made their appearance. They gave out
that they knew how to weave stuffs of the most
beautiful colors and elaborate patterns, the clo-
thes manufactured from which should have the
wonderful property of remaining invisible to
everyone who was unfit for the office he held, or
who was extraordinarily simple in character.
„These must, indeed, be splendid clothes!“
thought the Emperor. „Had I such a suit, I might
at once find out what men in my realms are un-
fit for their office, and also be able to distingu-
ish the wise from the foolish! This stuff must be
woven for me immediately.“ And he caused lar-
ge sums of money to be given to both the wea-
vers in order that they might begin their work
directly. So the two pretended weavers set up
two looms, and affected to work very busily,
though in reality they did nothing at all. They
asked for the most delicate silk and the purest
gold thread; put both into their own knapsacks;
and then continued their pretended work at the
empty looms until late at night.
„I should like to know how the weavers are
getting on with my cloth,“ said the Emperor to
himself, after some little time had elapsed; he
was, however, rather embarrassed, when he
remembered that a simpleton, or one unfit for
his office, would be unable to see the manufac-
ture. To be sure, he thought he had nothing to
risk in his own person; but yet, he would pre-
fer sending somebody else, to bring him intelli-
gence about the weavers, and their work, before
he troubled himself in the affair. All the people
throughout the city had heard of the wonderful
property the cloth was to possess; and all were
anxious to learn how wise, or how ignorant,
their neighbors might prove to be.
„I will send my faithful old minister to the wea-
vers,“ said the Emperor at last, after some de-
liberation, „he will be best able to see how the
cloth looks; for he is a man of sense, and no one
can be more suitable for his office than he is.“
---------
continued on page 14
6 THE HERRING MAIL

7. 7th JUNE 2009 7
THERE IS A BALL WITH A RUGGED SURFACE OF WHICH ONLY THE UPPER PART CAN BE SEEN
AS THOUGH CUT EXACTLY IN THE MIDDLE. THIS IS WHERE I START. AT THE VERY BOTTOM.
THE LINE MOVES OVER THE BALL AFTER WHICH IT IMMEDIATELY CONTINUES ITS JOUR-
NEY ASCENDING SLOWLY FOR A LENGTH JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN THE DIAMETER
OF THE ROUND BALL. IT COMES TO A HALT AND STARTS CLIMBING VERTICALLY UNTIL IT
REACHES A LEVEL TWICE THE HEIGHT OF THE BALL. A SLIGHT JUMP TO THE RIGHT AND IT
GOES UP ALMOST HORIZONTALLY FOR A LENGTH THAT IS TWICE THE DIAMETER OF THE
BALL. HERE IT MEETS THE BASE OF A SMALL SQUARE BLOCK. IT FOLDS ITSELF AROUND
ITS EDGE AND MOVES OVER ITS SURFACE. WHERE IT SHOULD DESCENT TO COMPLETE THE
SQUARE, IT CONTINUES STRAIGHT UP AT AN ANGLE OF 45º FOR A LENGTH THAT IS TWICE
THE DISTANCE OF THE DIAGONAL INTERSECTION OF THE SQUARE BLOCK. HERE IT MEETS A
SMALL SHAPE HALF THE SIZE OF THE BLOCK. IT ISATRIANGLE TRYING TO BALANCE ON ONE
OF ITS POINTS AND FALLING OVER TO THE RIGHT. THE LINE MOVES UPWARD AND SLIGHTLY
BACKWARD AS IT TRACES THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TRIANGLE. THEN IT SLIDES DOWN ALONG
ITS BASE AND HITS A WALL. NOW THE LINE MOVES UP ALMOST VERTICALLY WITH ONLY
A SLIGHT IMBALANCE TO THE LEFT. FROM THE POINT WHERE IT GRACEFULLY CURVES TO
CONTINUE IN A LIGHT UPSLOPE OF 35º, AN IMAGINARY LINE CAN BE DRAWN AT AN ANGLE
OF 45º FROM THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE BALL FROM WHICH IT STARTED. STILL THE LINE
IS MOVING UP AS THE BALL MOVES OUT OF SIGHT. IT PROCEEDS STEADILY WITH ONLY A
MINOR RECESSION HALF WAY. WHEN IT HAS TRAVELLED TWICE THE DISTANCE OF ITS VER-
TICAL ASCENT IT BENDS AND PROCEEDS ALMOST HORIZONTALLY. THEN A MILD SLIGHTLY
CONVEX SLAB PUSHES THE LINE UPWARD. ASCENDING AND DESCENDING LINES MIRROR
EACH OTHER IN A SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT SYMMETRY, THE LAST BEING SHORTER THAN THE
FIRST. IT IS NOW AT THE BASE OF THE SLAB AND STILL ASCENDING SLOWLY AS IT MOVES
AROUND A SMALL PYRAMID WHOSE BASE IS ONE AND A HALF TIMES ITS SIDE AND WHOSE
TOP IS ONLY A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THE TOP OF THE CONVEX SLAB. IF THE BASE OF THE
PYRAMID EQUALS ONE STEP [STEP], I WOULD NEED ANOTHER THREE STEPS UNTIL I REACH
WHAT IS ALMOST AN EXACT COPY OF THE PYRAMID I LEFT BEHIND. THE LINE HAS BEEN
ASCENDING ALL THE WAYAT A BARELY PERCEIVABLE ANGLE. ANOTHER THREE EASY STEPS
AND THE LINE MEETS A SLAB THAT COULD JUST CONTAIN BOTH PYRAMIDS. IT SLIDES OF
THE SLABAND PROCEEDS UPWARD INAPACE UNCHANGED FORALENGTH THREE TIMES THE
GAP IT LEFT BETWEEN THE PYRAMIDS. I ABANDON MY EASY CLIMB AS THE LINE BENDS UP-
WARD ABRUPTLY, SLIGHTLY TILTING OVER TO THE RIGHT AT AN ANGLE OF 85º. IT CONTINU-
ES TO ROUGHLY DRAW WHAT LOOKS LIKE THE BOW OF A TANKER SHIP. I BOARD AND MOVE
OVER ITS SURFACE FOR A LENGTH THAT IS AS LONG AS THE SHIP IS HIGH. THEN THE LINE
CRAWLS UP UNEASILY OVER A RAGGED 45º-SLOPE FOR AN EQUAL DISTANCE. WHEN IT HAS
REACHED ITS HIGHEST POINT THE LINE GOES DOWN MAKING ONE RAPID ZIGZAG LEAVING
AN INDENT THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE LAST PYRAMID. IT THEN SLIDES DOWN A GENTLE
SLOPE AT AN ANGLE OF 20º UNTIL IT REACHES THE LEVEL MARKED BY THE TOP OF THE IN-
VERTED NEGATIVE OF THE PYRAMID. I NOW FIND MYSELF AT THE BOTTOM OF A CALM VAL-
LEY. I PROCEED. THE LINE STILL GOES UP SLOWLY AND EASILY IN A SUBTLE CURVE. ON ITS
HIGHEST POINT IT SHAPES A MESA, ITS BASE IS AS BROAD AS THE BASE OF THE PYRAMID. IT
CONTINUES ITS CONCAVE CURVE UNTILTHE MESAIS EXACTLY IN THE MIDDLE, MEASURING
THREE STEPS ON BOTH SIDES. THE LINE CARELESSLY JUMPS OVER A SMALL BUMP AND
HITS A WALL, WHICH IS PUSHED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AT AN ANGLE OF 10º. IT MOVES UP
AND JUST BEFORE IT REACHES ITS TOP, A SMALL SHARP TRIANGULAR BITE IS TAKEN OUT
OF THE SOLID SHAPE JUST CREATED. PROCEEDING. THE LINE BENDS GOES UP FOR A LITTLE
WHILE AND DESCENTS FOR ONE AND A HALF THE LENGTH OF ITS ROUTE UPWARD. A JUMP
HALF THE HEIGHT OF THE LAST TOP AND I AM ON A SMALL PLATEAU. THE LINE ADVANCES
HORIZONTALLY FOR ABOUT ONE AND A HALF THE LENGTH IT JUMPED UPWARD. HERE IT
HOPS OVER A TINY CONE AND CONTINUES AN EQUAL DISTANCE ON A SLIGHTLY HIGHER LE-
VEL. THE LINE NEATLY BENDS MAKING A STRAIGHT ANGLE AND CONTINUOUS IN A FAIRLY
REGULAR ZIGZAG COURSE AT AN ANGLE OF 45º. WHEN IT REACHES THE THIRD AND HIGH-
EST TERRACE IT ABANDONS ITS STEADY RHYTHM, ROLLS ONWARD HORIZONTALLY OVER
TWICE THE LENGTH OF THE LOWER TERRACES. IT MOVES ON IN A STEADY SLOPE OF 45º FOR
A LENGTH AS LONG AS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FIRSTAND THIRD TIP OF THE ZIGZAG’S
STEPS [STAIR]. ASCENDING, I CAN SEE NOTHING BUT THIS WALL THATAWAITS ME. IT MAKES
AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 130º WITH THE STAIRS. I AM STANDING AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE
WALL LOOKING UP. ITS ANGLE IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE HORIZON AND IT IS ABOUT ONE
STAIR-LENGTH. I SCRAMBLE SKYWARD AND FOLD MY BODY OVER ITS EDGE. THE LINE PRO-
CEEDS HORIZONTALLY UNTIL IT MEETS ANOTHER WALL. IN TWO STEPS IT HAS RENDERED
A PERFECT SQUARE TRANSECTED DIAGONALLY. THE WALL I AM FACING NOW BENDS AWAY
FROM ME AS THE LINE STARTS TRACING 7/12 OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF A CIRCLE. ITS DIA-
METER IS ABOUT TWO STAIRS. IT RELENTLESSLY CONTINUES ITS JOURNEY UPWARD AT AN
ANGLE OF 40º UNTIL IT REACHES THE LEVEL INDICATED BY THE TOP OF THE CIRCLE. HERE
IT MOVES STRAIGHT UPAND BENDS, DRAFTING A DULL GOTHIC ARCH. THE DISTANCE FROM
ITS BASE TO ITS POINT IS ONE AND A HALF STAIRS AT AN ANGLE OF 60º. FROM ITS POINT
THE LINE BENDS DOWN BRIEFLY AND I SLIDE OFF IN A PUDDLE. I CLAMBER OUT OF THE
PUDDLE ONTOASTEEP SLOPE THAT BENDS BACKWARDALITTLE, BUT SHORTLYAFTER CON-
TINUES PERFECTLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE HORIZONTAL. FINALLY REACHING THE TOP I
AM ABLE TO JUST LOOK OVER THE SOLID SHAPE WITH THE TRIANGULAR BITE. THE VIEW
EXPANDS. THE LINE CONTINUES IN A SMOOTH CURVE UPWARD WITH AN EASE SOON TO BE
ABANDONED. IT REACHES A ROUNDED TOP FROM WHICH IT DESCENDS EASILY AND CONTI-
NUES UPWARD AT A 45º-SLOPE UNTIL JUST BELOW THE POINT FROM WHICH IT SLID DOWN.

8. Another Turn of the Screw
Act 3
In the exhibition space of the factory
Girl 1: [pissed off] Did you really have to use
all that wood? You don’t have a clue
how expensive and sparse wood is
here, do you?
Architect: Hey, what does one beam more or
less matter when we build a staircase
that will make them proud! Anyway,
we can make the platforms and steps
with old pallet wood.
Girl 2: Look how beautifully it fits both the
space and their needs!
Girl 1: But the owners don‘t agree with
you.They are furious.Why didn’t you
show them your design before you
started to build?
8 THE HERRING MAIL
Folglich haben diese sonderbaren Krea-
turen das Vorrecht, unter sich alle Süd-
früchte in Island yu teilen gemäß einer
Quote, berechnet nach der Fressgier
der Tiere und der Armut der Farmen
(die armen bekommen am meisten).
In den Zeitungen werden die Zweibei-
ner aufgefordert, möglichst viel Rogen
und Dorschleber yu essen, so dass auch
sie dayu beitragen, das Land aus den
Valutaschwierigkeiten yu retten. Es ist
jetyt wissenschaftlich erwiesen, sagen
alle Tagesyeitungen des Landes außer
dem „Nordexpress“ in Djupvik, dass die
Eingeweide von Fischen ebensoviel oder
mehr Vitamin C enthalten als Südfrüch-
te. Isländische Wissenschaftler haben
jetyt, mit der Regierung als Paten, den
Rogen umgetauft: er yoll jetyt „Zitronen
de Meeres“ heißen.
Der „Nordexpress“ befragte den Bey
irksaryt in Djupvik, ob die Berufung auf
Wissenschaftler stimme, dass Zitronen
des Meeres ebenso gesund oder gesün
der seien als Zitronen, die in dem lande
an Bäumen vvachsen, „vvo die Zitronen
blühn, im dunklen Laub die G0ld0ran-
gen glühn“. Der Atyt sagte, er habe kei-
ne Zahlen n0ch andere Unterlagen bei
der Hand, um das yu vviderlegen; die
yurückgesetyten und sprachl0sen ZV-
Veibeiner in Island Müßheit V0n den
Behörden übermittelt VVird. Anderer-
seits sagte den Beyirksaryt, er sei aus
anderen Gründen „mehr dafür , dass es
Nicht-Minken V0n der Art, die Islän-
der genannt uuerden, erlaubt uuerden,
Zitr0nen aus dem land yu essen, das in
G0ethes Gedicht eruuähnt ist, und dass
man Reineke und seinen Brüdern ih-
rerseits erlauben s0lle, sich an den „Zit-
r0nen des Meeres“ gütlich yu tun.

9. Architect: I thought they could envision the
staircase better with its base struc-
ture standing. I imagined them
happily surprised.
Girl 1: You thought you could persuade them
by confronting them with an accom-
plished act?
Architect stares at the window, trying to hide his
embarrassment.
Girl 1: They just want the simplest staircase,
you know, like the ones already in the
factory. Don’t you think that, as an
architect, you should talk with people
and work with their wishes? They
know the space, they know what they
want.
Architect lights a cigarette and starts a short lecture
on 20th century architecture, focusing on the early
post-modern attempts to involve the people in the
conception of their buildings.
[silence]
Architect: Hum… The staircase actually fulfils all
their wishes.They are just afraid be-
cause it doesn’t match the form they
had in mind.
Girl 2: We should have given them more
time… They are driven by emotions
rather than rational ideas about the
function and quality of a space.They’re
maybe more romantic… With a little
more distance they might understand
this proposal.
Girl 1: Isn’t it possible to make a compromi-
se? To make a simple structure that
answers to their wishes and is still an
interesting object in and of itself.
7th JUNE 2009 9

10. FACEBOX
Þetta er ljóð (2009)
myspace.com/facebook
Identity and communication
A) Að fara í pottinn og hitta fólk og spjalla aðeins.
Einkapottur.
Eintal? Tvítal?
B) Verum nú endilega i bandi.
Ég veit helling um þig, en samt ekki neitt.
Hver ert þú þarna hinum meginn? Ég er allir þeir sem ég vil vera
þegar ég er ein.
Communication breakdown með Led Zeppelin.
Erum við að tala saman?
Lest-sérð-heyrir þú nákvæmlega það sama og ég heyri-sé-les?
Have Love, Will Travel
Pink Love (2009)
myspace.com/DoYouLoveMeNow?
Love Me, And you love it
Have Love, Will Travel
True love will find you in the end
Dead In Love
Wear Your Love Like Heaven
Not About Love
To Your Love
Love Ridden
Your Love Is Mine
Gloves
Love Is A Deserter
I Hate The Way You Love
I Hate The Way You Love
The Youngest Was The Most Loved
Forced Love
I Love You
Do You Love Me
Don’t Think Twice (Love)
Fell in love with a girl
Female Rock Vocal
Fist/fish fucker (2009)
myspace.com/itsmellslikecoldfish
Neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring
Why sleep when you can draw?
Twilight
She drinks like a fish
A good place to sleep
Djúpavík=Lullaby=Sleeping beauty
Drink my blood, drain me, let me sleep 4 ever?
Your blood in mine
Spirituality
Don’t you contemporary art me!
Art is strange and then you die etc.
10 THE HERRING MAIL

11. 7th JUNE 2009 11

12. 12 THE HERRING MAIL12 THE HERRING MAIL

13. Borges, Jorge Luis, De Aleph.
Lynch, David, Catching the Big Fish, London 2006.
Schmidt, Annie M.G., Pluk van de Petteflat, Amsterdam 2003.
Hoffman, Werner (ed.), William Turner und die Landschaft seiner zeit, München 1976.
Safranski, Rudiger, Hoeveel waarheid heeft de mens nodig?, Amsterdam 1992.
Alberts, A. De Eilanden, Amsterdam 1952.
Barthes, Roland, Mythologieën(synopsis), Amsterdam 1975.
Herrmann, Luke, Turner, London 1975.
Ruskin, John, The argument of the Eye, Princeton 1976.
Wilton, Andrew, The life and work of J.M.W. Turner, London 1979.
Calvino, Italo, Palomar, Amsterdam 1985.
Calvino, Italo, Marcovaldo, Amsterdam 1992.
Cromheecke Letzer, Tom Carbone 2: Mise en Boîte, België 1992.
Matsier, Nicolaas, Gesloten huis, Amsterdam 1994.
Schama, Simon, Landscape Memory, London 1995.
Roobaard, Joke, Folders, Suits, Pockets, Files, Stocks, Amsterdam/Vienna 2003.
Heidegger, Martin, Zijn en tijd, Nijmegen 1998.
Meyer, Imke Michael, Waarom is de hemel blauw? Antwoorden op kindervragen, Nijkerk 1986.
Schmidt, Annie M.G., Pluk van de Petteflat, Amsterdam 2003.
Brouwn, Stanley, a distance of 336 steps, Amsterdam 2000.
Brouwn, Stanley, a distance of 2232 ells, Amsterdam 2000.
7th JUNE 2009 137th JUNE 2009 13

14. Another Turn of the Screw
Act 4
At the dinner table in Alfasteinn.The Architect takes
a sketch out of his pocket and carelessly throws it on
the table.
Architect: It would be less interesting in the
space, but we could build the stairs
they want using our abandoned
structure. We would use our first
attempt in a constructive manner. It
would spare wood and energy and
finish what we started.
Girl 1: [looks at the sketch and smiles] I’m
impressed. I thought you didn’t want
any compromise.
Architect: I told them I would do a staircase, so I
will do it. But I don’t want to take the
credit.
Girl 1: [curls her lips sardonically] That might
finally give us some space…
The evening passes peacefully as the Architect and the
Girls finish the last beer and enjoy themselves in the
refreshing water of the fjord.
Continued from page 6
---------
So the faithful old minister went into the hall,
where the knaves were working with all their
might, at their empty looms. „What can be the
meaning of this?“ thought the old man, opening
his eyes very wide. „I cannot discover the least
bit of the read on the looms.“ However, he did
not express his thoughts aloud.
The impostors requested him very courteously
to be so good as to come nearer their looms; and
then asked him whether the design pleased him,
and whether the colors were not very beautiful;
at the same time pointing to the empty frames.
The poor old minister looked and looked, he
could not discover anything on the looms, for a
very good reason, viz: there was nothing there.
„What!“ thought he again. „Is it possible that I
am a simpleton? I have never thought so mys-
elf; and no one must know it now if I am so.
Can it be, that I am unfit for my office? No, that
must not be said either. I will never confess that
I could not see the stuff.“
„Well, Sir Minister!“ said one of the knaves,
„Well, Sir Minister!“ said one of the knaves, still
pretending to work. „You do not say whether
the stuff pleases you.“
„Oh, it is excellent!“ replied the old minister, loo-
king at the loom through his spectacles. „This
pattern, and the colors, yes, I will tell the Em-
peror without delay, how very beautiful I think
them.“
„We shall be much obliged to you,“ said the
impostors, and then they named the different
colors and described the pattern of the preten-
ded stuff. The old minister listened attentively
to their words, in order that he might repeat
them to the Emperor; and then the knaves
asked for more silk and gold, saying that it was
necessary to complete what they had begun.
However, they put all that was given them into
their knapsacks; and continued to work with
as much apparent diligence as before at their
empty looms.
---------
Continued on page 21
14 THE HERRING MAIL

15. 7th JUNE 2009 15

16. 16 THE HERRING MAIL

17. The drawing started out with some triangle shapes and patterns, drawn on a rather
thin and delicate white paper with a black pen that bleeds a little. A few more triang-
les were added beside the other ones. Then another below, with a face of a boy inside
it, looking quite unhappy and with black around him. These triangle shapes grew
into some kind of a three dimensional form. Maybe it’s a building, but a very abstract
one, impossible even. The building has some white walls and a roof with diamond
shapes on it, in black and white. On a slanting plane beside the roof there are some
small, short lines. Maybe it’s fur, but it could also be grass (some things are so similar).
On the other side, beside the building there are also small lines but they look more
like a hairy shadow growing out of the wall. Down from the house grow some lines
that form a tube. It’s white and goes down from one triangle up to another abstract
three dimensional form. That one also has a hairy shadow on a small part of one side
and some black triangle shapes on top of it, making it more two dimensional than
three. The tube then connects with something that might be a lump of hair or a ball
of yarn. It’s hard to say. Beside that and above the black triangles are three diamond
shapes, one white, the other black and then again a white one. On the tube there are
three black circles, with almost an even space between them. Beneath them the tube
lies on a wall or a square with the same black and white diamond pattern as on the
roof of the building above. The wall grows into three towers each with a roof with
one black side. A hand is touching the walls of the towers, a hand that belongs to an
arm that belongs to a boy. The other hand of the boy is touching the roof of the buil-
ding but it’s see-through so you can see the pattern of it quite clearly. That arm is also
a little shorter than the other one, it’s not the good arm. The boy has blonde hair. He
has quite small ears and big eyebrows. You can’t see his lower lip, he might be biting it
or it might not be there at all. He seems worried in a quiet, hopeless way. His shirt is
white with buttons placed close to each other. On his shirt it says “no no” in Icelandic
and above it there is a flower shape which has been crossed over.
7th JUNE 2009 17

18. Another Turn of the Screw
Act 5
The Girls and the Architect just returned from the
factory where they made a start with the transforma-
tion of the structure.They sit at the table staring at
their teacups.
Girl 1: I really thought this was the staircase
they wanted. It was such a good com-
promise.
Girl 2: I have never seen somebody that
angry…
Girl 1: What does it matter if the staircase
goes in one direction or another?
Architect: [agitated] We try to help them and the
only thing we get back is this outrage.
[silence]
Girl 1: There must have been some sort of
misunderstanding.
Girl 2: What shall we do? Dismantle again?
There really is no more space for
another compromise…
Architect: [really upset] I don’t want to have
anything to do with this anymore. I’ve
lost enough of my time. If they want
to destroy their space with a dumb
staircase, they are on their own.
Girl 1: So, you would run away from your
responsibility having wasted all their
wood.
Architect: Fuck you, I’ve had enough of your
preaching.
[silence]
Girl 2: All this effort and we have nothing to
show.
[pause]
Girl 1 and Girl 2 [together]:
If only we could turn back time…
18 THE HERRING MAIL
On one of my many timed visits to the tank on May 21st
I expected to find an
empty tank, but instead I met a small boy, Birnir, he was diligently and delicately
constructing a city with scraps found around the tank. His attention to this process
was beautiful. I couldn’t help but ask if I could play. He only spoke Icelandic,
and I English, but we found ways to share our discoveries, and ideas about which
direction our mini metropolis should grow in. Over the course of the next couple
of days we met to collect more materials around the factory and beach, as we
had exhausted the resources inside the tank. Our system of roads, bridges, and
islands expanded. He went home today, and when I went back into the tank to
keep working this afternoon, I found my energy deflated. It’s no fun to build alone.
The little boy broke right through the barriers I have felt about adding anything to
this place. He did it naturally and honestly., I felt comfortable joining and would
some how like to extend that collaborative process to SIGN, possibly in a dialogue
through drawing, I am sending you this drawing/map of the installation in the tank.
TANK INSTALLATION
May 24, 2009

19. 7th JUNE 2009 19
MEASURED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE HORIZONTAL I TRAVELLED A DISTANCE OF TWO AND A HALF STAIRS.
AGAIN SLIDING DOWN A GENTLER SLOPE, DRAFTING A PYRAMID WHOSE RIGHT SIDE IS SOMEWHAT LONGER
AND LESS STEEP. I AM AT THE RIGHT BASE OF THE PYRAMID. I START CLIMBING A STEEP SLOPE THAT SLOWLY
CURVES INWARD TO LEAVE SPACE FOR THE RIGHT HALF OF A SHARPENED ELLIPSE. ITS TOP HOVERS ABOVE ITS
BASE AND MAKES AN IMAGINARY LINE AT AN ANGLE OF 60º WITH THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID. THEN THERE IS
A RIDGE, BUT NO PLACE TO REST, FOR THE LINE NOW MOVES ON VERTICALLY, BENDS AGAIN AND CONTINUES
WITH RIGOUR, EXTENDING THE LINE IT INITIATED IN DRAFTING THE PYRAMID. I CONTINUE MY ARDUOUS AS-
CENT: FIRST ALONG THE STEEP SLOPE FOR A LENGTH AS LONG AS HALF THE CONCAVITY UPWARD AND ONTO
A VERTICAL SLOPE OF ONE THIRD OF THIS CONCAVITY. THEN THERE IS A SHORT PAUSE AS I MOVE ALONG A
MORE GENTLE SLOPE ATAN ANGLE OF ONLY 40º OVER TWICE THE LENGTH OF MY VERTICALASCENT. THE LINE
HOWEVER IS DETERMINED TO REACH ITS HIGHER GOAL AS ANOTHER STEEP UPSLOPE DENIES ME MY VIEW.
I CLAMBER SKYWARD AT AN 80º-ANGLE UNTIL I REACH A HONED TOP. FROM HERE AN IMAGINARY LINE CAN
BE DRAWN AT AN ANGLE OF 45º FROM THE SOLID SHAPE OUT OF WHICH A TRIANGULAR BITE IS TAKEN. I AM
STANDING ON THE TOP OF A SMALLER PYRAMID FROM WHICH, IN ONE EASY LEAP, I DESCENT ONTO A SLIGHT-
LY CONCAVE TERRACE, CURVING IN A CALM AND UNHURRIED BOW OVER TWO AND A HALF STAIR-LENGTH. IT
CONTINUES IN AN UPWARD BOW, BUT IT DOES NOT COMPLETELY FINISH ITS ARCH, FOR HALF WAY DOWN IT
IS INTERRUPTED BY A BOLD STANDING OBSTRUCTION. IT IS A PERFECT QUARTER SEGMENT OF AN ELLIPSE. I
STAND FACING ITS TALLEST SIDE AS IT CURVES AWAY FROM ME. THE LINE CAREFULLY RENDERS ITS SHAPE.
ITS TOP IS AS HIGH AS TWO THIRD OF THE LENGTH OF THE TERRACE. THE LINE CONTINUES STRAIGHT UP AS
IT DRAFTS WHAT COULD BECOME AN EXACT COPY OF THE ELLIPSE, IT STARTS TO DEVIATE HOWEVER, AS IT
APPROACHES THE TOP. IT CONTINUES VERTICALLY UNTIL IT REACHES A POINT FROM WHICH A LINE CAN BE
DRAWN AT EXACTLY 45º FROM THE HONED PYRAMID. THE LINE CURVES BACKWARD AS IT SHAPES A THIRD OF
AN ORANGE WEDGEAS THOUGH IT WEREABALCONY ONAROUNDED SUPPORT. I CLIMB ON THE BALCONYAND
MOVE INSIDE AN INDENT THAT IS LIKE A MOUTH OPENED IN WONDER. HAVING DRAWN THE UPPER LIP, THE
LINE CONTINUES STRAIGHT UP AT AN ANGLE OF 60º, REACHING A VERTIGINOUS HEIGHT ON THE TIP OF A DELI-
CATE NOSE. SLIDING ALONG ITS BRIDGE THE LINE MOVES DOWN AGAIN TRACING AN ELEGANT CURVE, LEA-
VING A PERFECT IMPRINT OF AN ELONGATED ELLIPSE WITH THE TOPMOST SEGMENT OF A CIRCLE CAREFULLY
PLACED AT TWO THIRD OF ITS LENGTH: AN OPEN EYE GAZING AT THE SKY. AT THE END OF THE ELLIPSE I AM ON
THE SAME LEVELAS THE VERTIGINOUS VIEWPOINT. THE LINE PROCEEDS UPWARD AND DELINEATES THE SPIFF
BANG OF AYOUNG GIRLAS IT CURVES UPAND DESCENTS IN A GENTLY ROUNDED QUARTER ELLIPSE. THE LINE
NOW SHAPES A PERFECTLY ROUND PUDDLE, ASCENDS PERPENDICULARLY, FOLDS ITSELF OVER THE RIDGE OF
A SMALL SQUARE, MOVES OVER ITS SURFACE, BENDS STRAIGHT UP AND AFTER A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE
SIDE OF THE SQUARE, CONTINUES HORIZONTALLY. I AM STEADILY GOING UP AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 20º. FOR
AS FAR AS I CAN SEE THE LINE WILL RISE IN A REGULAR SLOPE. ITS ROUTE, HOWEVER, IS RAGGED. IT RISES UP
A PYRAMID, WHOSE GRADIENTS COME FAIRLY CLOSE TO ITS EGYPTIAN PROTOTYPE. THEN HALFWAY DOWN,
SHORTLY STRAIGHT UP. IT MOUNTS A PLATFORM AS LONG AS THE PRECEDING ONE. ANOTHER JUMP TWICE THE
HEIGHT OF THE PLATFORM AND CURVES OVER A SMALL ROUND THAT MERGES INTO A SEGMENT OF A LARGER
ONE, COVERING ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE LENGTH OF THE PLATFORM. ONE STEP DOWN AND UPAGAIN AT A
CONTINUOUS ANGLE OF 45º, MEASURING ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE LAST PLATFORM. ANOTHER BUMP THAT
COULD CONTAIN BOTH THE ROUNDAND THE SEGMENT,AFTER WHICH IT MOVES LEISURELY ONWARD,ALMOST
HORIZONTALLY, THOUGH SLIGHTLY TILTING UPWARD FOR THE SAME DISTANCE AS OUR PREVIOUS 45º-ANGLE.
THEN IT REPEATS ITSELF AS AGAIN IT HAS ME MOVE UPA SLOPE AND CONTINUES ON AN ALMOST HORIZONTAL
PLANE. I AM ON A SECOND TERRACE THAT IS SLIGHTLY LONGER. I HOP ON A WELL CUT RECTANGULAR SLAB,
ITS LENGTH BEING TWICE ITS HEIGHT, HOP OFF AND PROCEED ON THE SLIGHT SLOPE OF THE TERRACE FOR
AS LONG AS THE RECTANGULAR WAS WIDE. I QUICKLY JUMP ON A TABLET FUNCTIONING AS A THRESHOLD TO
THE UPPER SEGMENT OF A CIRCLE WITH A DIAMETER THAT IS ABOUT AS BROAD AS THE LENGTH OF THE RECT-
ANGLE. THE LINE CONTINUES AT THE SAME PACE FOR A LENGTH AS LONG AS THE DIAMETER OF THE SEGMENT
AND ITS DOORSTEP. AGAIN A SEGMENT OF A CIRCLE FOLLOWED BYAN EVEN PASTURE OF A FAIR LENGTH TWO
TIMES THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE RECTANGULAR SLAB AND THE BISECTED BALL THAT NOW RESEMBLES
THE SUN IN ITS EARLIEST HOUR, RISING ABOVE AN EVEN HORIZON. I WALK TO THE VERGE OF THE PASTURE.
FROM HERE IT IS UP, UP, UP AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE. THE LINE ASCENDS AT A CONSISTENT 25º-ANGLE.

20. 20 THE HERRING MAIL

21. 7th JUNE 2009 21
Continued from page 14
------------
The Emperor now sent another officer of his
court to see how the men were getting on,
and to ascertain whether the cloth would
soon be ready. It was just the same with
this gentleman as with the minister; he sur-
veyed the looms on all sides, but could see
nothing at all but the empty frames.
„Does not the stuff appear as beautiful to
you, as it did to my lord the minister?“ asked
the impostors of the Emperor‘s second am-
bassador; at the same time making the
same gestures as before, and talking of the
design and colors which were not there.
„I certainly am not stupid!“ thought the
messenger. „It must be, that I am not fit for
my good, profitable office! That is very odd;
however, no one shall know anything about
it.“ And accordingly he praised the stuff he
could not see, and declared that he was de-
lighted with both colors and patterns. „In-
deed, please your Imperial Majesty,“ said
he to his sovereign when he returned, „the
cloth which the weavers are preparing is
extraordinarily magnificent.“
The whole city was talking of the splendid
cloth which the Emperor had ordered to be
woven at his own expense.
And now the Emperor himself wished to see
the costly manufacture, while it was still in
the loom. Accompanied by a select number
of officers of the court, among whom were
the two honest men who had already admi-
red the cloth, he went to the crafty impos-
tors, who, as soon as they were aware of
the Emperor‘s approach, went on working
more diligently than ever; although they
still did not pass a single thread through
the looms.
„Is not the work absolutely magnificent?“
said the two officers of the crown, already
mentioned. „If your Majesty will only be ple-
ased to look at it! What a splendid design!
What glorious colors!“ and at the same time
they pointed to the empty frames; for they
imagined that everyone else could see this
exquisite piece of workmanship.
„How is this?“ said the Emperor to himself.
„I can see nothing! This is indeed a terrible
affair! Am I a simpleton, or am I unfit to
be an Emperor? That would be the worst
thing that could happen--Oh! the cloth is
charming,“ said he, aloud. „It has my com-
plete approbation.“ And he smiled most
graciously, and looked closely at the empty
looms; for on no account would he say that
he
could not see what two of the officers of his
court had praised so much. All his retinue
now strained their eyes, hoping to disco-
ver something on the looms, but they could
see no more than the others; nevertheless,
they all exclaimed, „Oh, how beautiful!“ and
advised his majesty to have some new clo-
thes made from this splendid material, for
the approaching procession. „Magnificent!
Charming! Excellent!“ resounded on all si-
des; and everyone was uncommonly gay.
The Emperor shared in the general satis-
faction; and presented the impostors with
the riband of an order of knighthood, to be
worn in their button-holes, and the title of
„Gentlemen Weavers.“
---------
Continued on page 22

22. Continued from page 21
----------
The rogues sat up the whole of the night before the day
on which the procession was to take place, and had six-
teen lights burning, so that everyone might see how an-
xious they were to finish the Emperor‘s new suit. They
pretended to roll the cloth off the looms; cut the air with
their scissors; and sewed with needles without any th-
read in them. „See!“ cried they, at last. „The Emperor‘s
new clothes are ready!“
And now the Emperor, with all the grandees of his court,
came to the weavers; and the rogues raised their arms,
as if in the act of holding something up, saying, „Here
are your Majesty‘s trousers! Here is the scarf! Here is
the mantle! The whole suit is as light as a cobweb; one
might fancy one has nothing at all on, when dressed
in it; that, however, is the great virtue of this delicate
cloth.“
„Yes indeed!“ said all the courtiers, although not one of
them could see anything of this exquisite manufacture.
„If your Imperial Majesty will be graciously pleased to
take off your clothes, we will fit on the new suit, in front
of the looking glass.“
The Emperor was accordingly undressed, and the
rogues pretended to array him in his new suit; the Em-
peror turning round, from side to side, before the loo-
king glass.
„How splendid his Majesty looks in his new clothes, and
how well they fit!“ everyone cried out. „What a design!
What colors! These are indeed royal robes!“
„The canopy which is to be borne over your Majesty, in
the procession, is waiting,“ announced the chief master
of the ceremonies.
„I am quite ready,“ answered the Emperor. „Do my new
clothes fit well?“ asked he, turning himself round again
before the looking glass, in order that he might appear
to be examining his handsome suit. The lords of the
bedchamber, who were to carry his Majesty‘s train felt
about on the ground, as if they were lifting up the ends
of the mantle; and pretended to be carrying something;
for they would by no means betray anything like simp-
licity, or unfitness for their office.
So now the Emperor walked under his high canopy in
the midst of the procession, through the streets of his
capital; and all the people standing by, and those at
the windows, cried out, „Oh! How beautiful are our
Emperor‘s new clothes! What a magnificent train there
is to the mantle; and how gracefully the scarf hangs!“
in short, no one would allow that he could not see these
much-admired clothes; because, in doing so, he would
have declared himself either a simpleton or unfit for his
office. Certainly, none of the Emperor‘s various suits,
had ever made so great an impression, as these invisible
ones.
„But the Emperor has nothing at all on!“ said a little
child. „Listen to the voice of innocence!“ exclaimed his
father; and what the child had said was whispered from
one to another. „But he has nothing at all on!“ at last
cried out all the people. The Emperor was vexed, for he
knew that the people were right; but he thought the pro-
cession must go on now! And the lords of the bedcham-
ber took greater pains than ever, to appear holding up a
train, although, in reality, there was no train to hold.
22 THE HERRING MAIL
This is a drawing of a boy with black shiny hair and black eyes
(that look like holes). His mouth is big and he is biting his right
hand. It is also quite big. Maybe it’s because he’s worried or
stuck someplace he doesn’t want to be. Beside his left ear you
can see a triangle but it has been painted over with white. He’s
wearing a sweatshirt. With his left hand he holds a building close
to his hips, it’s a square building with windows and a door and
on top of it there are triangle shapes with one side black and the
other one white. Beside the boy with the black hair there’s a boy
(or a girl, you can’t tell maybe), standing on a chair, whispering
into the boy’s ear. But you can’t see the whisperers face because
there are small lines drawn over it, forming a mass (a loose mass)
of hair or grass. And it’s growing from the black-haired boy’s ear.

23. TIMES THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE RECTANGULAR SLAB AND THE BISECTED BALL THAT NOW
RESEMBLES THE SUN IN ITS EARLIEST HOUR, RISING ABOVE AN EVEN HORIZON. I WALK TO THE
VERGE OF THE PASTURE. FROM HERE IT IS UP, UP, UP AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE. THE LINE
ASCENDS AT A CONSISTENT 25º-ANGLE. IT STARTS HESITANTLY AS ITS ROUTE IS SOMEWHAT
WAVERING. STUMBLING OVER SMALL OBSTACLES FOR A DISTANCE AS FAR AS THE LENGTH OF
THE PASTURE IT MEETS THE UPPER HALF OF A PERFECT CIRCLE WITH A DIAMETER THAT IS SOME-
WHATLONGERTHANTHE BASE OFTHE CIRCLE RESEMBLINGTHE SUN. ITROLLS OVER SMOOTHLY
AND DESCENTSAMILD RAMP. METHODICALLY FOLLOWING THE TRACK IT SET OUT FOR ITSELF IT
MOVES TOWARDS A SMALLER VERSION OF THE PERFECT HALF CIRCLE. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
THE TWO IS EQUALS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE VERGE OF THE PASTURE AND THE FIRST PER-
FECT HALF [PASTURE]. AFTER IT HAS COVERED THREE PASTURES A TRIANGULAR OBSTRUCTION
STANDS IN ITS STEADFAST CLIMB. THE LINE MAKES A DETOUR: IT CLIMBS UP VERTICALLY FOR
A LENGTH THAT IS HALF THE DIAMETER OF THE BIGGER OF THE TWO PERFECT HALF CIRCLES.
DOWN AGAIN, IN AN EASY DESCENT AT AN ANGLE OF 45º. IT TIRELESSLY CONTINUES UPWARD
FOR ONE MORE PASTURE. HERE IT FINDS A CONGLOMERATE OF THREE PYRAMIDS. TOGETHER
THEY MEASURE TWICE THE BASE OF THE TRIANGULAR OBSTRUCTION. THE LINE GOES UP PER-
PENDICULAR FOR HALF A STEP THEN BENDS IN A SQUARED ANGLE AND AFTER ANOTHER HALF
A STEP IT BENDS AGAIN AND MOVES UP AN EQUAL LENGTH. I AM STANDING ON THE HIGHEST
POINT OF WHAT LOOKS LIKE A SMALL DESERT CITY. I DESCEND GLIDING IN A SHALLOW BOWL.
THE LINE DRAWN FROM BRIM TO BRIM RUNS PARALLEL TO THE SLOPE. STANDING ON ITS FUR-
THEST BRIM I AM ON TOP OF THE CITIES WALL. WHEN MEASURED FROM THE HORIZONTAL, THE
Another Turn of the Screw
Act 6
Back in the exhibition room at the factory. Girl 2
and architect look upon their artwork and are very
pleased with themselves.
Girl 2: So minimal, yet so rich in content.
Architect: Maybe we shift it another 5 cm to the
left... It would start a more interesting
dialog with the rhythm of the columns.
Girl 2: I wonder if we shouldn’t have used the
grey gaffer tape…
Girl 1 enters the factory space very upset, holding an
empty box
Girl 1: [raging] You went too far now! What
were you thinking?Where did you find
the screws you used? I can’t believe
you entered his personal workshop...
Have you no respect for their terri-
tory?
[silence]
Girl 1: [defeated] They will never trust us
now…
[silence]
Architect: [resigned] They didn’t trust us from
the start.What a hopeless cause, all
this effort in vain.
And this is in no way constructive.
[half-heartedly kicks his sculpture]
Girl 2: You told me those were our screws.
You Asshole, you lied to me.
Architect: You can’t even distinguish a screw
from a nail.
Girl 1: But we can distinguish right from
wrong.
Girl 2: Oh shut up, cunt.
Girl 2 leaves the space
Girl 1: Satisfied?
Girl 1 leaves the space
Architect all alone in the space.
7th JUNE 2009 23

24. Call for applications
WAITING FOR WHALES
Gallery NIGS, Reykjavik
The Kaho’olawe whaling industry, figurehead of the Hawaii’s most dy-
namic industry, once made the fishery sector green with envy. Today
the redundant property, wounded in its pride, grimly braves the burning
Pacific sun. Factory workers and fishermen turned their backs to the
island a long time ago and since then the Pacific Ocean has taken it into
possession. At the end of April 2010 an international group of six visual
artists will be travelling to this remote corner of the world. In solitude
and extreme conditions they will try to work and conduct an artistic
survey of the typical historic, geographic and ecological conditions on
this deserted part of the archipelago.
Parallel to the working period in Kaho’olawe, a documentation centre
in the Reykjavik gallery NIGS will monitor the artists as they learn to
adjust to the extreme conditions on the island. In the early days of
the Hawaiian summer, temperature rarely drops below 30º C, sandy
beaches, mild sea wind and regular, refreshing showers in the early eve-
ning will make work an almost impossible undertaking. The dilapidated
concrete property of the former whale-processing factory will provide
ample opportunities to hang your hammock [provided by the gallery] in
its cooling shade.
The artists are challenged to send at least one work to the gallery situa-
ted in downtown Reykjavik. During the whole working period a curator
(to be decided) in waiting will be on display. Visitors will have the oppor-
tunity to question, complement and respond to the curator daily.
NIGS is looking for six artists who are willing to take this challenge. The
residency is to start on the first of May 2010 and will end with a closing
ceremony in the gallery the 15th of June 2010. For each resident the
gallery will provide a bounty of food, travel expenses and a hammock.
Your application should include a letter of motivation (max. 500 words),
a portfolio in 20 slides (PDF) and your CV. Selections will be made pri-
marily based on your motivation. Application deadline: August 30, 2009.
More information on the residency programme you can find on our web-
site: www.NIGS2.is
Another Turn of the Screw
Act 7
Performed June 7th 2009 at the Djupavik Herring
Factory.
Girl1 played by: AafkeWeller
Girl2 played by: AdrienTirtiaux
Architect played by: Emily Norton
the reflection of sunlight that comes through a hole in the roof and shines upon the shallow water where a sheet
of ice is floating as a drop of water hits the surface. Observed by Sidsel Genee.+
24 THE HERRING MAIL
CREDITS //// Many, many special thanks to Eva and Ási, the owners of the Herring factory and Hó-
tel Djúpavík, for your hospitality, help, patience, friendlyness and most of all your “hjerterum” throug-
hout the whole project. Without your support, we would not have been able to realize this exhibition.
Special thanks to Marie Jeanne and Ron in SIGN, for your optimism and trust in this project and for taking care of
all logistics. Special thanks to: Claus in Island for letting us stay at your place in Reykjavik, for helping us set up a
communication center and store about 250 kilos of groceries in your bedroom. Thanks you Claus, for being a great
support in general. Thank you, Gudmundur Thoroddsen (Mummi) for your contribution to this project, bringing us
to the airport in Reykjavik, bringing us beer halfways through the project and, last but not least, for driving us to
the swimmingpool in Krossnes. Thank you, Sunneva and Birnir for your inspiration and wonderful contribution to the
Djúpavík Dreaming puzzle. Thanks also to Badda for picking us up at Gjögur Airport. And Bernt, for cooking and put-
ting up an efficient wiring system in the exhibition space. Thanks to Arna‘s parents for bringing screws, cookies, and
cigarettes – supplies necessary for the completion of the project. Thanks to John Miller from New York, for posting
our mail in Chelsea. The two happy, handsome hikers from Zwolle, for posting our mail in The Netherlands. Thanks,
Marcel Imthorn for building the spring waterfall at SIGN for Adrien. Thanks also go to the members of Grijs Genoe-
gen for puzzling! Special thanks to Noor Nuyten for sending “een verrassing, iets lekkers en iets om mee te spelen”.
Thanks to Franzi for sending delicious Belgian chocolate and her encouragement. Roy, for the world. And thank to
everybody that contributed to the Imaginative Library in SIGN: Oleg, Leja, David, Arjen, Bouke, Adrien, Sidsel, Corrie,
Noor, Danielle, Marijke, Dorothee en Roy. Thanks also to other more transcendental elements that helped us through
the project: David Lynch („where we come from the birds sing pretty songs“) and Brian Eno (oblique strategies).
This publication is a result of the Inbox/Outpost pro-
ject - a site-specific and process-oriented project that
gradually evolved on two locations: an out of use her-
ring factory in Djúpavík in the very North of Iceland
and in SIGN, a project space in Groningen, the Nether-
lands. Both locations have been closely connected for
a period of one month, during which an international
group of six artists from various disciplines have been
exploring the ecological, architectural, social and cul-
tural environment of the factory. Their research was
an investigation into a possible work in situ; a work
that is inextricably bound to the specific situation in an
outpost in the very North of Iceland.
The results of the project are exhibited in the herring
factory in Djúpavík from the 7th of June till the 15th
of July.
Inbox/Outpost was initiated by the artists Aafke Weller
and Sidsel Genee, organized and developed in collabo-
ration with SIGN in Groningen, The Netherlands.
The other participating artists:
Arna Óttarsdóttir (IS)
Emily Tamzen Norton (US)
Adrien Tirtiaux (BE)
Erla Silfá Hordvik Thorgrímsdóttir (IS)
Archivist/ liaison artist in SIGN, Groningen:
Daniëlle van Zuijlen
Further inquiries about this publication and the project
can be directed to inboxoutpost@gmail.com or have
a look at: www.inboxoutpost.in / www.djupavik.com /
www.sign2.nl