Today, in Vardø, there are several empty houses, structures, old fish-ing factories, sheds, spaces. An unknown amount of empty structures all over town. Maybe 34, 56, 78, maybe even more? (The map only shows the empty buildings of the harbour area.)

What is a built structure when it is no longer in use. How do you move in an empty house. How do you move in empty street or in an empty town or inbetween many empty houses. What are these empty spaces in Vardø. The population is still decreasing. Is it important to keep them, transform them, to tear them down? How far can we go imagin-ing what an empty house can become.

All photos of empty houses in Vardø, are taken by Ottar Zahl Jonas-sen. The map of empty houses was developped by Anette Margrethe Basso for her diplomawork in Vardø in 2010 Vardø

What was it what is it what can it be what do you see

a fence a perfect parcours something you do not recognize an art installation a playground for children a scenery from a movie

a fold out house for sunny days for ourdoor concerts for a garage saleout in the neighboorhood a wall that becomes a balcony a dancefloor a barbecue when finished, fold the house together

The house is never cold

A house worth its weight in concrete to make sure it will never be forgotten to make sure it will never be moved to make sure it will never be destroyed

A house worth its weight in concrete to make sure it will never be forgotten to make sure it will never be moved to make sure it will never be destroyed

A wooden floor all over town a big building in many col-ors a colored wall with several entrances a collection of old houses in a pile

cut off the lower part of the house, walk in under and sing in it

a secret pathway inbetween houses for days with winterstorms for playing hideandseek for being lazy for something else happening for walking in a different direction

A birch forest inside a house a smell you would never imagine in Vardø a glass roof and the sky above you a small world to disappear in enter the forest through a door like any other house

Or a garden maybe inside or out-side the house someplace to lie down especially in winter imagine you are in Southern Italy or Indonesia or in Vardø

Birds can nestCats can restHereWouldnt that be nice