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Welcome to The World’s Northernmost Railroad, Kirkenes!

People that are engaged in development and changes of societies, and that also are interested in art and culture as a "locomotive" in the development of a place, are welcome to Kirkenes on Thursday the 12th and Friday the 13th of June!

Artists, philosophers, consultants, historicans are gathered to share their experiences and give their interpretations of the place. Topics that are raised under discussions are; What is actually happening with the society when its main industry is closing down? How do we creatively find new uses for old and obsolete buildings? How can art and culture give new energy to a place?

The artists will be occupying the old locomotive depot that used to belong to the world’s northernmost railroad which covered 8,5 km between Kirkenes and Bjørnevatn. The railroad was used for the iron-ore transportation from the mines to the processing plant.

All the facilities have been out of use since 1997, when the company AS Sydvaranger`s iron ore mining production was closed down. Machinery was sold at an auction and another mining company ABM bought a lot of the production halls and facilities in order to re-start the production. In May 2002 ABM went bankrupt. AS Sydvaranger, in the meantime transformed into an investment company, retrieved all the buildings. The company plans to re-start the mining activities on a smaller scale in the future. There are also plans to extend the railroad track to connect it to the Northern Russian railroad system. But so far the buildings are empty.

Sør-Varanger Municipality is now working on a Municipality plan, a 10 year vision of Sør-Varanger. The seminars and discussions can be inputs to the plan.

The invited artists are (working in Kirkenes from he 6th to the 14th of June):

Invited to give lectures (the 12th and 13th of June):