June 7 2005
Open microphone
tv-tv studio for open microphone
Some ideas of involved politicians, residents and experts concerning why the Warehouse Halls at Nørrebro Station must not be replaced by more housing in one of Denmark’s most densely populated areas, or by yet another consumer palace, but on the contrary must be restored and used as a local and global dynamo – an ArtFreight Centre where artists and the local citizens can meet, cooperate and utilize a unique cultural historic framework for art and cultural activities that can function as socially adhesive and an instrument for improving integration.
Use and Restore the Warehouse Halls and the railway property at Nørrebro Station. Quotations and pictures from YNKB’s three programmes for tv-tv: The Process 1, 2 and 3, produced by YNKB and the Freighthall Group and was broadcasted on 16 March, 27 April and 22 June 2005.
Those responsible for the production are:
Finn Thybo Andersen, Delphine Bechard, Kirsten Dufour, Finn Christiansen, Katja Løgstrup-Hansen, Jette Hye Jin Mortensen, Rasmus Pedersen, Loui Gram Petersen, Sarah Sillehoved, Station 2000, Marianne S. Sørensen, Vladimir Tomic, Joen P. Vedel, Thomas Bo Østergaard
“The process”: Use and Restore the Freighthalls
Quotations from the program:
“They are some very good and solid buildings, and they represent a building style that will completely disappear if they are not saved.”
Karsten Skytte Jensen, Chairman for Nørrebro’s Historical Society
“It is a bad idea to tear down the Freighthalls and build housing, because that’s not what we want. Everybody out here has said it before: We don’t want housing. There are really, really, really many people living here in this area.”
Bilal Elfout, Engineer, resident in Mjølnerparken
“This is the strength of ArtFreight, and this is what we must work to realize.”
Jan Christiansen, Head City Architect of Copenhagen
“What is special about this place is that even though we are in the middle of Nørrebro, it is possible to create a big playground where all kinds of activities can take place.”
Heine Thorhauge, art student, Nørrebro resident
“Actually, the whole world lives in this neighbourhood. That means that
there are unexploited cultural resources here that we could use in these old Freighthalls.”
Finn Christiansen, Spokesman for the YNitiativ group.
“I believe it is important that future art institutions are placed where people live and that they become active participants.”
Finn Thybo Andersen, Artist and teacher at the Royal Art Academy, member of art group YNKB
“… It is this dialogue and communication and interest for people and meetings between people that is essential.”
Lene Crone Jensen, Acting Director, Rooseum, Malmø
“It can be very beneficial for the integration to get the young people from Mjølnerparken involved in something where they are taken seriously and actually choose and form some of the physical surroundings right next to where they live.”
Wojchiech Laskowski, artist and art pedagogue, resident, Outer Nørrebro
“The most important thing for me is that ArtFreight comes to exist, that the buildings are restored, because they are so fantastic. The idea is to open up Mjølnerparken through art.”
Lise Egholm, Principal, Rådmandsgades School
“I think this is a good project because it is important that residential areas also offer cultural activities that involve and engage the residents.”
Jytte Andersen, MF for Social Democrats, former city and housing minister
“ArtFreight is a fantastically visionary and very, very exciting project, where we have some completely unique buildings with a really beautiful location.”
Bjarne Fey, member of Copenhagen city council for SF
“It is often difficult to save buildings that cannot be directly used for an
other purpose. But here it is almost as if these spaces were built for art. It is so obvious.”
Inger Wiene, Museum Director, Copenhagen City Museum
“Most important of all, we can have a place for art and culture that has the format to attract more people than just those who live here.”
Troels Glismann, Chairman for Housing Association Lersøgård
“I have absolutely no doubt that art and culture can do some heavy lifting. Also in relation to integration and understanding each other.”
Principal Ingrid Brandt, Heimdalsgades School
“The projects for making the Freighthalls into an art and culture centre are very exciting. They ought to be developed further.”
Mikkel Warming, member of Copenhagen city council for Enhedslisten
