HEIM
Bø elderly care facility, Telemark, 2014/2015
Wall paintings in six living rooms, as well as a wall work on the façade of the entrance area.
Creating a homely atmosphere in an institution is a challenge. My experience is that even though you try to break the institutional character by adding personal objects, it is still difficult to establish homely qualities. A home is something created over time and influenced by experiences and memories. In the art project at Bø Nursing Home, I have therefore explored the elements that contribute to defining a place as home.
The project consists of two main visual components: – Painted shadow drawings/silhouettes of everyday objects associated with a home. I entered each living room and played with the already existing furniture and colors. – Painted handwriting based on the users’ associations with the word “heim,” reproduced with their own handwriting. Digital writing is increasingly replacing handwriting, and cursive writing is gradually disappearing. I have therefore used handwriting both as an associative and decorative element.