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Art and reflection book.
ISBN: 978-87-992835-4-5
Title: Greenland - the world is, as we think it Preface: Julie Berthelsen Language: The book contains three languages - Greenlandic, Danish and English In a single release Number of pages: 184 + Cover Format: 29.5 x 27.5 cm. Thickness: 2.4 cm. You can buy the book here: http://linda-riber.dk/index.php/en/shop |
Greenlandishness and Challenges
For the artist Linda Riber Greenland is both in her heart and in her blood. Though Linda now makes her home in Svendborg, she takes a living interest in her country's past and future. Through the course of three years, she has worked on a project designed to uncover "Greenlandishness and Challenges". She has interviewed nineteen different persons (and herself), most of who live in Greenland while a few live in Denmark. Each one of them has received their own little "bite" of the book's many large pages, which are replete with photos and painted photo collages, photos of great beauty and strength.
Naked hope
One of the touching things about the book is its gentleness coupled with the artist's almost suggestive ability to be convincing to her reader. http://www.tv2fyn.dk/article/257621:Hele-udsendelsen-20-00
We meet so rarely a rock-solid belief that we can advance if we have the right attitude, a belief that if we have humility towards others and towards nature, a genuine humanism, a naked and strong hope, which soars over the firmament of the future - not as a beautiful dream - but as a genuine possibility. How has Linda Riber done this?
A totality of pure magic
She has chosen a score of representatives of the Greenlandic society (and regrets that none of the hunters have time for the project). She has talked with them (it must have been intense, genuine dialogues). She has taken pictures of their faces with her camera (but to a higher degree with her rare sensitivity for other's special characteristics). She has inspired them with enough confidence that they have confided in her their thoughts about their lives, about their (Green) land, about their joys, sorrows, difficulties, wishes and expectations. (She has picked the quotes and the fragments of conversations that could fit precisely into her vision - which are, mysteriously, also theirs). She has photographed the dearly beloved landscape (steeped in ancient history, an insistent present and worries for the future).
Finally, with the spirit and will of an artistically talented sorceress she has blown it all to atoms and re-assembled the individual parts to an entirety of pure magic. Conjured with brush and paint, metaphorically speaking cut and pasted until all of the words and pictures and visions appeared in pure clarity; played with three languages so the reader and observer no longer can harbor the slightest doubt as to how important this is, both for Linda Riber, for the other nineteen Greenlanders, for Greenland - and for the reader.
Much more than a book about Greenlandishness
If anyone should be in doubt, this book has captured my heart! Let me make this clear: this book is much more than a book about Greenlandishness and challenges. It makes you believe that the good in people is not just something we wish to achieve but something that actually exists. Though its message makes its way- indirectly- in the frozen world of political themes it points no fingers let alone clenched fists.
The book is in no way artificial or pretentious. It does not argue. It just presents things, as they are experienced, with no frills but with an appreciable dose of the artist's stardust! A book for reflection, immersion and debate, as the artist herself writes. Let me add to this - and for pleasure.
The book was released on July 8, the same day as the opening of Linda Riber's large travelling exhibition of art from the book in Katuaq, Nuuk. The exhibition will move on, later, to Denmark, The Farrow Islands and Sweden.Linda Riber has exhibited her art in Denmark as well as in Europe, Greenland and the United States. In addition to being an artist, she is a professional occupational therapist.
Atelier LINDA RIBER
I have invited a large group of local children, youngsters, adults and elderly people to take part in my art project "Open Heart". It is about the hearts capacity and qualities - and part of the project is also inspired from science of the heart.
Art installation: "Open Heart" has just recently been inaugurated at Centrumpladsen Svendborg City. Denmark.
If you are curious to know more about the art project you can find a (danish) interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99zeF7mMyTQ
You can see pictures from the inauguration here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057686768220