Svolværraidet memorial exhibition
I have made an exhibition with paintings inspired by photos my grandfather's brother, Kyrre Sørstrøm, returned with from the second world war. March 4th this year it is 70 years since Svolværraidet ,or operation Claymore as it was called in the UK, took place in Svolvær in Lofoten in Norway. Kyrre was among the many who embarked the English warships returning for England after the raid. He wanted to fight against the nazism. Also my grandfathers nephew , Brynjulf Grindedal, embarked for England. He was not allowed at home to go. He was too young. But he took his sailor boots in the hands, tiptoed out, and went. Maybe these men were adventurous. At least they were young. But they stayed in the service to the end of the war. That bares witness of a sense of duty beyond the reach of the adventurousness of youth. That is the truth of many of our soldiers who are serving abroad today too.
When I came across these photos during a research in my family history., they made a strong impression. I wanted to communicate their storries. That became my leap into political art.
Svolværraidet and also the other raids along the Norwegian coast was a military success. As propaganda they had great value too, partly due to the many people from Lofoten who volunteered for England. The picture below shows the young and spirited guys from Lofoten walking down a London-street in their sea boots. It is told in our family that this photo went half around the world as a proof of the Norwegian resistance.
Young guys from Lofoten in London. My grandfathers nephew, Brynjulf Grindedal, number one to the rigth. Photographer is unfortunately unknown to me.
As a part of the preparation for this exhibition I read the book "Thunder in March" by Harry Westrheim, Bjørn Nilsen og Dag Skogheim. I also had a long interview with now retired journalist in Lofotposten, Odd Gjerstad. Here it is told what dramatic punishment reichskommisar Terboven had in mind for the people in Lofoten who had received the Englishmen. Entire villages should be burned, and the families of those who had escaped to England should be executed. The fact that this did not take place is mostly due to the fishermen and the fishing industry who threatened to stop working. This frightened Berlin. The fish was an enormously important war resource. Terboven was subdued.
The example with the fishermen who could force the will of the nazis shows that change can be achieved through many ways. Those who does not possess canons can also contribute. In my own field I try to make art with a political message. The pictures painted especially to this exhibition shows the horrors and destruction of war. For the children and young ones who, through computer games and films, get an unrealistic impression of war, it is important that this story is retold again and again.
The photos I found in Kyrre's album also tells about the friendship and unity that kept both ordinary men soldiers and peers going. For those who view this from the outside, this is hard to understand. To easy one tries to discuss the soldiers' reality from an idealized theoretical point of view. Eventually I have made a painting from Gardermoen airfield in 1945. I think it speaks of the disillusion and the problems many of those who had served abroad would face after the war.
In this exhibition I am also displaying my painting if the Iranian mother Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani. It was made in protest against the inhuman regime in her homeland who have sentenced her to death by stoning. I am also exhibiting two paintings from the series Fishbowlship recently being exhibited in Vienna. This series is an argument on how knowledge can be developed and shared on the internet.
Finally, as a Master of Science, I would like to say that I am very pleased that Norway now has it's first member organisation of Engineers Without Borders. That is an impressive way to use one's education and science. Usually it is only limits within your own mind, that stops you from achieving something good.
