Björkö Konstnod

Aurike Quintelier is a visual artist and architect based in Ghent and Brussels, Belgium. Her practice has many layers, often working cross-disciplinary, and looks for the places where art and architecture meet. Driven by idealism and research while operating on a variety of scales, the projects vary between actual buildings/structures, and more conceptual projects. In the latter she uses art or architecture to express herself or to react to a topic she find intriguing (or enfuriating). Every project has a strong emphasis on experiment and exploration, trying to find a way to communicate. In function of the message, the medium changes; medium follows message.

The research Quintelier is currently conducting, "Building Out Whispering. Con-structions on the Imagination of Place”, finds itself on the intersection of architecture and art. It explores the possibilities of how spatial interventions/integrations can engage with different aspects of place, space, environment, and make abstract topics such as climate change and its consequences discussable. Could these temporary interventions in a landscape help imagine the future identity of a place? Does our identity as humans shift? The project focuses on the symbiosis of human and nonhuman, where the human is considered part of nature, in opposition to the dualism inherent in western systems of thought. Aurike aims to reveal how all aspects of place are entangled (its history, geology, possible futures, eco-systems, etc.) in order to create structures that bring closer nature and culture.

During her time at BKN Aurike Quintelier wishes to further develop her research, in an environment that has a strong link with nature. Through collaboration and interaction with the island of Björkö, all aspects of the community and eco-systems, from sea to forest. The artist/architect is by the residency and the development of the artwork given a starting point to further develop the research questions on landscape and identity at the cusp of art and architecture.

AiR BKN: January 11 - March 14, 2021
Curator: Anna Viola Hallberg

During her AiR BKN Aurike Quintelier (BE) has developed a series of 5 "friendly parasites". The enigmatic creatures tell stories of people and nature on Björkö. It transgresses and narrates life between human and non-human communication.

Title: Friendly Parasites (it matters what stories tell stories)
Artist: Aurike Quintelier
Material: Chicken wire, textile, yarn, clay, hemp string, pir activated media player with audio narrations, and a story told by the artist live as during a walk to the installation in the forest. In addition, the artist produced a booklet of the project.
Narrator: Åsa Öhrn
Language: Swedish (audio) English intervention during the walk.
Production year: 2021
Venue: Björkö, Sweden a secluded site in the forest + presentation and walk with the artist (March 2021) + Lokalen Gallery in Norrtälje where one "friendly parasite was presented as a single object during the week leading up to March 8th, 2021)

The work is based on research and conversations with the community out on Björkö and is an exploration of landscape and identity as part of a preparatory phase for Quinteliers Ph.D. studies "Building Out Whispering. Con-structions on the Imagination of Place”, University of Tasmania "“it matters what stories tell stories” is a quote by Donna Haraway. It matters what thoughts we think thoughts with, it matters what stories we tell other stories with, it matters where we come from and who we are. Can the act of collecting memories, and retelling them within a fictional environment, encourage deep listening?" AQ

The full series is part of the out door exhibition walk taking place on Björkö March 6 and 7th, 2021 and additional sessions until March 18th.

BKN and the artists are following all national pandemic regulations!