-
Paul Magnus Lundø (b. 1979, Sokndal) is a screenwriter and director, graduated from the Nordic Institute of Stage and Studio in 2005.
The mythical gaze
Sandbekk. Just the word conjures up in me a feeling of adventure, mystery, play and longing.
With ruins from a heyday and contrasting landscapes, from sharp mountain slopes and "caves" to soft sand dunes, this area forms its own little world in Sokndal.
The first time I discovered this world can best be described by comparing it to when Lucy goes into the wardrobe and comes out into the magical land of Narnia, in the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis. Except that cold snow had been replaced with sand. Warm golden sand.
I have played, spent the night and explored here since I was a child, and well into my adult life.
And it has inspired both feature films, role-playing games and visual arts. Each unique area at Sandbekk was given its own name, of a mythical nature. Truly a magical area.
With completely different lenses, one could say that Sandbekk is an industrial scar on the surface of the earth. A dangerous and shameful place seen from a nature conservation perspective, or with a critical-historical perspective where imperialism and racism haunt the air.
In 1980, a psychological experiment called The Dartmouth Scar Experiment was conducted, where a group of people were painted with embarrassing scars on their faces to find out if people with scars were treated differently. Everyone reported that the scars had a big impact and that they felt treated badly.
But the experiment wasn't about the scars, it was about perception. Just before the test group left the makeup room, the makeup artists were supposed to do a little touch-up, but in reality they secretly removed the scars. The aim of the experiment was really to find out how you experience the world if you think you have an embarrassing scar. And the answer was clear; what we believe becomes what we see. We create the world with the way we encounter and interpret it.
So what is the truth about Sandbekk? Is it an ugly scar in our cultural history or a magical and beautiful place?
The answer is of course both. But I have chosen to live with the mythical gaze, because that is where I find the source of life and inspiration.
Large parts of the Sandbekk that I grew up with have unfortunately either been torn down, buried or blocked off due to risk. In this sense, it is on its way into the ranks of legend. I find that sad, although I understand that not everyone sees what I see. For me, it will always remain a living place, filled with wonder and mystery. A place that has shaped me and that I would never have been without. A portal in life into a land where myths and magic were not just something you could read about, but experience.
MORE FROM WASTE / DEPOSIT :
SIMON DANIEL TEGNANDER WENZEL / visual artist
LISA TORELL / visual artist
BEN HIPKISS / welfare crew