antipodes café series

antipodes café DEG15

Norway / Oslo
Urban intervention, antipodes café series, antipodes café DEG15

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Overview

Description

The first official odd number (15) of the new main avenue of the upcoming centre of Oslo, named Dronning Eufemias gate (DEG) was chosen by antipodes café and assigned by local authorities for this temporary site specific installation, presented as a coffee-barrack, where discontinued situations exploring everyday life –as well as coffee– were served gratuitously and on daily basis.

From that number and its respective sign, to location, constructive process, shape, materials, colours, visual communication, uniforms, functions, program of specific activities -including both local and international guest participants- and an uncountable amount of details were part of this delicate exploration about unwritten and written rules on an edge, which in its movement, as waves, defines the beach.

The entrance was connected with the public space with a wooden terrace with 3 outdoor tables and chairs. People used this space for enjoying a coffee or own lunch, books, etc. Usually we added a wireless speaker, which in summer shared special playlists made by the radio show Segundo Intento from Uruguay and by the musician Fernando Lagreca from Spain. Closer to the cornerstone with the address sign DEG15, was a wooden billboard including FAQs as well as the full calendar of activities. When antipodes café DEG15 was open, we added a two sided pavement sign. In one side a poster highlighting that we were open, and in the other side a poster with the activities of the day. Both posters were regularly changed and hand made. We kept the two last ones, which where then part of the show “antipodes café visits Elefante” in Brasilia 2017.

Three wooden barracks (not shipping containers), two in the ground floor and one in the top. Made in 1996 and used since then in the area by the Norwegian public roads administration, perhaps turning antipodes café DEG15 in the oldest building of the area and the only from the previous Century. (All buildings in Dronning Eufemias gate were open between 2001 and 2016, Operahuset is from 2008 and all buildings in Sørenga are from after 2011)

One of the two windows towards the entrance, was a storefront one, called “Utstillingsvindu“, where we developed diverse installations related to the current exhibition or totally independent. This window counted with lights all around, something that gave certain life to that “dark” side of the road during 2016.
The ground floor of æDEG15 was a semi-public space with the functions of: entrance (cloakroom and small stuff storage), a multi-use exhibition space with a retractable screen, a coffee corner with a bookshelf, a kitchen with a bar, and a toilet.

Upstairs –as the access was just with stairs– was a private studio but we opened for curious visitors upon request.

The terrace called «Abdón Porte» (long story about Passion, Play and Life) was a totally private space, only reachable throughout the studio used basically by us when the place was closed, by supporters by appointment, or by special guests in specific gatherings we arranged. From this incredible space we developed 3 of the 4 programmed concert for machines, and a spontaneous one.

In the following “accordion” menú you can see the full program arranged by date or kind of activity and details of the construction process, participants, supporters and collaborators.

Location