Steilneset Memorial by Peter Zumthor and Louise Bourgeios, Vardø, Norway [Finmark] -- Jan 1, 2020

A drone video of the Steilneset Memorial to the witches burned alive from 1600-1690 in Finmark. This film was shot New Years day, 2020, and was the first, and only, day of clear skies during my entire 2 week trip. I had traveled to northern Norway to experience the polar night, sometimes called the blue hour, above the arctic circle in early winter. In this region, the sun stays below the horizon all day and the world is bathed in twilight and darkness 24 hours a day.
There are no scenes of the interior of the long memorial because I did not feel that the camera could capture the feeling of being in that space. It is a long corridor with banners that tell the story of each person who was put to death for being a witch. The information was collected from historical governmental documents still kept in Tromsø, Norway. The long corridor of names by the small windows you can see from the exterior is perceptually disorienting in its shape, presentness and lighting. I have photographs of this space, but they do not convey the sense of being in the space, so I have chosen to not include them. Perhaps a better photographer could capture it.
This video is primarily focused on the perceptual presence of these buildings with a glimpse into the art work inside the black pavilion. Once again, I did not capture the entirety of the installation, but the inclusion of the burning chair was put in to show a close up view of the flames that can be seen from the outside of the building. The warmth of LED bulbs, that we see lighting the windows in the other building, clearly reference the burning chair, and the light of each of the people caught up in this tragic chapter of history.
Inside the memorial there is a guidebook that has translations of each of the banners for the 91 people who were condemned to death for being witches. Of the people, 77 were women and 14 were men. Below is the text of just one of the banners, for Anne Mattisdatter:
" Brought before the court at Vardøhus Castle on 28 November 1634"
"ACCUSED
--of having cast a spell on Jacob Sass's two sons and some hired hands in Ekkerøy
--of having said, after a quarrel, that Oluf Jonsen would never have luck at sea or at land
--of having ensured that this was what happened
--of having told Mogens Felt, who had quarreled with her husband, that his boat would capsize
--of being to blame when Morgens Jelt, shortly after, capsized and had to ride the keel"
"Refused to confess
--Was Subjected to the water ordeal on 1 December 1634 and floated like a stick.
--Refused, Still, to confess
--Was Found guilty the basis of denounciation and the water ordeal"
"Sentenced to death in fire at the stake"
"Was then Tortured"
"CONFESSED THEN
--that she learnt witchcraft from Synøve and that she was to have luck with her livestock
--that she took part in the casting of spells over Sass's two sons and some hired hands from Ekkerøy
--that Synøve, Kari and Kristen were with her then
--that they were in the shapes of humans, and that she flew over the sea on a black calf
--that they capsized the boat with the help of the calf"
The factual and cool reporting of these events provides a powerful insight into the lives of both the perpetrators and the victims of these executions.
The video on the other hand juxtaposes the history with the stark and elemental design of these buildings in a way that allows us to ponder and consider the weight and implication of the memorial, both for the past and perhaps more importantly for the present and the near future. The building's presence, it's atmosphere, and it's voids all work work together, at the edge of the town, on the edge of the sea, in the edge of night, to focus us on our being and our place in the universe.

[@KNHMN]

Amazing cinematography. Thank you.

[@michaelsarkisyanc9903]

Such a tension of space and ligth that you feel like in the Middle Ages.

[@fernandogutierrez6538]

gracias

[@秦鹏远]

so beautiful structure！