Residens Symbiotiska kopplingar i och med Rogsån, Falun
From two residence periods in the summer of 2023 in and with the small river “Rogsån”, Kultivator invited to a gathering In Österå village community building, previous village school. Malin Lindmark Vrjman and Mathieu Vrjman from Kultivator held a presentation of their artistic practice, and gave three workshops/actions that dive deeper into the river Rogsån, and at the same time starts a network work around and with watercourses in Sweden, Norway and Canada. In the first workshop, "a fleet for the future", Mathieu Vrijman invites you to equip (and then launch) boat sculptures for the challenges of the future. The models are inspired by the finds of ancient log boats that were made in Igeltjärn near Rogsån in the 1930s, and disappeared from Dalarna's museum in the 60s. The boats, and descriptions of fishing gear that were found near them, indicate Sami presence in the area. What knowledge and approaches to the water in the landscape have been pushed aside and forgotten in the story of our common past? How can we lift and remember the forgotten in the face
of the change the climate crisis and the mass extinction of species are presenting to us? The conversation and fitting out of the boats is followed by a joint walk to Rogsån, where they are launched for further travel through the water system. The second workshop, "The Net" is led by Malin Lindmark Vrijman with the help of Lina Sofia Lundin. Here we materialize the network of waterways by literally tying a web together, of the fibers and with the craft knowledge found in the area. For Rogsåns net, we use flax yarn, grown, processed and spun nearby. During the work with the hands, we invite to also share stories, memories, or other
thoughts around the river, based on material from a study circle that is available to take part in during the workshop. The piece of net we tie while we talk becomes the very first part of the Net which will travel on to other places near watercourses, where it is tied further with other people who have a relationship with their water, with other local materials/ fibers, and other stories. We think of the net as a work that never ends, but can travel around to communities near water as long as
someone has the strength to carry it. In the last workshop/action, those who want to go with the local Fishing association out to Rogsån
and we contribute tangibly together to their work with the restoration of the river for increased
biological diversity.