Los Torreznos → Border-Crossing Exercises

January, 2008

“Border-Crossing Exercises” is a video work made by Los Torreznos in Kirkenes and Nikel. The video was a part of the outdoor exhibition “Times Square Kirkenes-Nikel” under the festival Barents Spektakel 2008.
Los Torreznos got inspired by the festival slogan “Border-Crossing Exercises” and finished their video with: “When you cross the border, if you look back – the border is still there, and it is still in front of you”.

Kirkenes and Nikel constitute the heart of the Pomor Zone and are considered to form a hot spot in the Barents Region. But this regional strategic role is in contrast to their small town atmosphere and obvious lack of urbanity. During the Barents Spektakel 2008 the Town Square of Kirkenes was turned into “Times Square” with outdoor screens showing video films made by the invited artists´ groups about the neighbouring towns Kirkenes and Nikel. “Times Square Kirkenes–Nikel” is an attempt to lift the status of these towns and turn them into Barents metropolises.

Artists:
Olga & Alexander Florensky (St Petersburg, Russia),
Blue Noses: Viacheslav Mizin, Alexander Shaburov, Yevgeny Ivanov (Moscow-Novosibirsk, Russia),
Los Torreznos: Rafael Lamata and Jaime Vallaure (Madrid, Spain),
Andreas Nilsson & Mikel Cee Karlsson (Malmo, Sweden).