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Polar night brings an appetite for art
Paintings and music nourish the soul, but there's also something to be said about art that illuminates the palate. Satiating all those senses meant the onset of the three-month polar night was anything but gloomy in Longyearbyen during the eighth annual KunstPause Svalbard. Promoted as a chance to take a break from everyday routines, the four-day festival featured events big and small at venues indoors and out throughout town. The theme was something of a contradiction, emphasizing the same historic and cultural aspects of daily life that is the focus of the Norwegian Year of Cultural Heritage 2009. Among the KunstPause events was a presentation of buildings in Longyearbyen and Pyramiden, modern and historic photo exhibits of everyday Svalbard culture, and a concert where a wide range of locals preformed equally broad interpretations of hymns at Svalbard Church. Settings ranged from the rugged log benches at an outdoor bonfire to a fancy dress evening by a fireplace. The opening reception offered a little of everything as about 125 people crammed into Galleri Svalabard, where owner Elise Hannaas reminded them of the art indulges to come. "Stimulation for all senses – hearing, sight and taste," she said. The welcome was followed by a mini-concert by local singer/songwriter Liv Mari Schei and Swedish guitarist Staffan Johansson. Attendees then nibbled on wine and snacks while exploring new exhibits and a range of creations such as clothes and jewelry by artists in the gallery's studios. Blending the primitive and sophisticated, along with art aimed at multiple senses, was the focus of an evening of coal and long-stem roses Saturday at Brasseri Nansen. About 200 people filled the dining room for a three-course meal where food consisted of things like perfect squares of potatoes and stacked circles of venison. Preparations in the kitchen began two weeks in advance on subtle details such as smoking fish in-house.
"We're trying to use Norwegian food" such as Arctic char, said Chef Leif Arne Plahter. "because it's so easy to make for so many people," but new flourishes such as the sauce for the venison. Advance planning for decorations included ordering 100 roses from the mainland and gathering the coal that was piled along the lengths of the tables as part of the centerpiece. Local diners also saw a new wrinkle as waiters donned mining outfits, complete with helmet lamps, and dirtied their faces with coal dust – attire worn only once before during an event for people from out of town. That meant the challenges of formal serving were complicated by trying to keep battery cables and other accessories from bumping, snagging and otherwise disrupting guests. An art auction and a concert by the Valkyrien Allstars during the evening were also presented in a novel way, even to the well-known Norwegian folk band that tours extensively. Meal courses alternated with music sets and, while some initial doubts existed about the approach, lead singer Tuva Livsdatter Syvertsen said it worked surprisingly well compared to other dinner shows. "The audience is listening to us when we're playing," she said. At other banquet performances "they're holding a fork in one hand and a champagne glass in the other, so they can't applaud."
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