In Remembrance – Mikkjal G. Hansen & Fighters They Bleed

Part 2 of a photo documentary about a Faroese metal band. Progressing into a collective work-of-art.

I continue my artistic work with this project in remembering Mikkjal G. Hansen together with people. First step was to make a new video artwork from my vast archive of photos from a long-term photo documentary about and made together with the Faroese metal band SIC. The aim of the art project was to portray the everyday life of the band on the Faroe Islands and to these images was also intertwined more outstanding circumstances from the band's tour in Europe and from other musical scenes. I worked with the band and the SIC family during 2008–2010. There was an exhibition called Fighters They Bleed in Helsinki in 2010 that the SIC members never got to see and for many reasons this exhibition never found its way to the Faroe Islands.

Due to the passing of the band’s lead vocalist Mikkjal G. Hansen in fall 2021 I continue my work with SIC to document their final concert at G! Festival in Syðrugøta, Faroe Islands in July 2022 as well as the preparations and rehearsals for that final concert. For the festival I made a new video artwork to remember and honour Mikkjal G. Hansen (see it below). Joint to the SIC stage at the festival I made a large vinyl poster of the “iconic photo” of Mikkjal that people have started to use to remember Mikkjal (e.g. it was featured in Swangah’s Belials Synir anniversary book). I made an Open Call at the festival as a PDF flyer to collect visual and textual memories of Mikkjal. The aim is to make a collective video artwork of these memories – now in January 2023 I am reminding of the open call on social media (Facebook / Instagram).

This work-of-art is building up towards the exhibition In Remembrance in Smiðjan í Litluvík, Tórshavn on 9th–14th March 2023. On display are old artworks from the Fighters They Bleed exhibition and also new artworks made by me in collaboration with the SIC family, the Faroese metal scene and beyond. There is an opening of the exhibition on the 9th March 2023. We are also working on to make a space/small event for a get-to-gether to remember Mikkjal through tunes and talk in a low-key setting jointly to the exhibition. Stay tuned for more information.

The upcoming exhibition In Remembrance in 2023 and the pre-work / intervention at G! Festival 2022 is supported by Uttanríkis- og mentamálaráðið, Føroyar / Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture, Faroe Islands.

VIDEO ARTWORK | IN REMEMBRANCE

VIDEO ARTWORK | IN REMEMBRANCE (TEASER)

PHOTOGRAPHS | IN REMEMBRANCE

Photographs from the archives of my work with SIC. This is a photo of Mikkjal G. Hansen performing at the last gig in Southampton of SIC’s Pandemonium tour 2009. The photo is remade to feature SIC’s last performance at G! Festival 2022. I made a vinyl poster of the photo that was on display at the SIC stage at the festival. Halgir Magnusson and Friði Djurhuus helped me to install the poster on the wall of Grundin stage.

OPEN CALL | Memories of Mikkjal G. Hansen

Open Call for memories of and about Mikkjal G. Hansen as photos/video clips/stories in text format etc. The format is free as long as it it made into a digital format and that can be incorporated in audiovisual format. e.g. a drawing that is photographed. Use your personal touch in remembering.

I will compile a collective video artwork in Full HD 16:9 format of these memories to honour and remember Mikkjal. The video artwork is compiled together with Mikkjal’s family. It is published online on my website as well as presented at the exhibition in Smiðjan í Litluvík, Tórshavn on 9th–14th March 2023.

If you have physical material that you want to display at the exhibition let me know.

If you want to share your memories of Mikkjal with us and collectively send them to me to the email eija.makivuoti@gmail.com. You can use a service like WeTransfer if there is a lot of material. Please describe the material you are sending e.g. what year and what the occasion is and so forth.

The video is a collaborative artwork and all the contributors names are mentioned. This is a non-profit endeavour.

Thank you! / Takk fyri!