Ny utstilling: Thor Heyerdahl Scholarships winners 2022

The Thor Heyerdahl Institute has had the pleasure of handing out the prizes to the winners of the Thor Heyerdahl Scholarship 2022. The theme was MIGRATION and IDENTITY.

 
It is particularly pleasing that there was activity again in 2022 so that the scholarship committee could select winners. There has been somewhat lower participation for two years now, probably due to the pandemic situation.
The entries that were sent in were of high quality! The scholarship committee was unanimous in its decision.

Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Professor of social anthropology at the University of Oslo, Norwegian anthropologist. researcher and author.

Bettina Heyerdahl, Daughter of Thor Heyerdahl and managing director of Ingrid Lindback Langaard's Foundation, and Eva and Erik Ankers Legat.

Liv Arnesen, Norwegian expedition manager, author, educator, cross-country skier, adventurer, guide, and former board member of the Thor Heyerdahl lnstitue.

Torgeir Higraff, Norwegian expedition manager of Tangaroa 2022 and Kon Tiki 2016. Auhtor, teacher, journalist and explorer.

No 1:

The winning entry has been elaborated with several stories, text and i mages about migration and identity. Russia-Ukraine war.

No 2:

Chest that gives associations to a butterfly. A bigger picture of migration, flight, borders and freedom.

No 3:

Migration, majority and minority. Veils and symbolism suggest but do not say everything.

Thor Heyerdahl scholarships 2016 - 2022: A gift from the Norwegian Government.

The background for the Thor Heyerdahl Scholarship was a gift from the Norwegian Government to the Institute on the occasion of Thor Heyerdahl's 100th anniversary in 2014. It came from three Norwegian ministries:
Education and Research; Culture; Climate and Environment.

 
The gift was given in the form of scholarship funds. The Institute has announced competitive annual Thor Heyerdahl Scholarships of NOK 50 000 each since 2016. The scheme is aimed at the age group 16-19 and is open to all sixth form colleges in Norway. 

lts objective is to stimulate young people to continue to develop the cultural legacy of Thor Heyerdahl. The entires in 2022 were of high quality. The competition's theme was: MIGRATION AND IDENTITY.

NICOLAY MARTELL WOLD, KASPER SKOGØY-HANSEN & HELMER CHRISTENSEN-MYHRE:
"The greater picture", collage

We focus on identity in this project. We wanted to highlight how we are all alike on the inside in spile of our different backgrounds. We have taken photographs of people from different countries and of different nationalities and genders who identify as LGBTIQ+, as well as members of minority and majority groups. 

We wanted to get the message across by setting the models up against a white, neutral background and putting their portraits together to make a collage in the form of a human skeleton and a heart.

KAROLINE SØRHAGEN & ODA NESHEIM: 

«Reflected», Photographic art

Equality between straight and gay people in Norway is not just a matter of course. Sex between people of the same gender was only legalised in Norway 50 years aga and people of the same gender are allowed to get married in the church today. Norway has come a lang way; but a lot of oppression and hatred towards sexualities other than heterosexuality still exist. 

Perhaps it is even more important to fight for queer rights in countries where equality is not a matter of course and liking someone of the same gender can even end in capita/ punishment. It is important to fight for the equality and rights of the LGBTIQ+ community.

MARIUS CIRBA:​

«Untitled", Photographic art

I used myself as a mode/ in this project and created a composite series of pictures of my self-portraits and trees Humans and nature have a lot in common. I wanted to compare humans and trees in this series. All trees are unique, no two trees are alike, just as no two people are alike.

CAN ERK PO TUR & MATIHAS BJERTNES / MODEL KAI AHMED​

«Lens Queen", Photographic art/portrait

My family was large, but I was born in Norway during the lraq War. I didn't receive a passport until I was 10 years of age and most people from the family in lraq had already died or been killed. It was difficult to grow up with an ethnic background and be homosexual. I spent several years finding out who I was and why I was how I was. I hid from my own family and after a number of years, I can finaly be free.

- Kai Ahmed

BENEDIKTE BRAGLI KOLRUD & ELIZA ILIADIS / MODEL: MAHAD MERCIER BJÖRK MUSSE:
"Gender; identity and migration", Portrait

The series of pictures is concemed with highlighting differences and taboos around femininity in men. Our model, Mahad Mercier Björk Musse, believed the project to be powerful and relevant. "I believe the project highlights a problem in youth culture; femininity in men is looked down upon", he says. Here, we have taken photographs of a masculine and feminine version of the same man. We try to show that both are «correct» and that he is still himself regardless of what he is wearing.

ALF VIKTOR SCHIBSTAD WILLIAMSEN

"Untitled", Photographic art