Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

This project explores the restless lives of adolescents growing up in Finnmark, the northernmost part of Norway. To a large extent Norway’s increasing wealth is due to fish, oil and minerals from this part of the country; yet several small communities are left as nowhere lands were local prospects may be limited. Privatization of the fishing industry in the 70’s made unemployment, the abandonment of fish factories and depopulation a part of reality.

The young generation in Finnmark is the future; they carry with them the responsibility of keeping their small hometowns alive and building sustainable businesses in the area. But adolescents in these remote areas face different challenges than other teenagers; the Internet, magazines and television allow them the same input of popular culture, yet they do not have an equal chance to partake. While this project depicts the social challenges related to depopulation and small communities versus globalization, the interest lies in the tension between what the youths are passionate about and dream about, and the reality surrounding them: Their thoughts about the future, longing to explore the world versus the ties to home and family.

(Work in progress)