Today, in Vardø, there are several empty buildings. Vacant houses, old fishing factories no longer in use, abandoned sheds; spaces. An unknown amount of empty structures can be found all over town. After looking at photos from Vardø taken in April 2011, and explored the streets of Vardø, through the nauseating and sometimes confusing scope, of Google Street view, I could count roughly 65 empty buildings, maybe more.
Compared to the size of the population (2.100), the vacant structures are quite numerous. Their presence has become a constant reminder of the hardships Vardø has suffered, and the massive depopulation, cutting the inhabitant count in half. In Vardø, it’s common say, that half the houses are empty. Today, enthusiasts have begun the project of restoring some of the old houses. They are prominent - almost dominating - in the townscape. The population is still shrinking.
I see many different perspectives and aspects in approaching these empty spaces. What function did they serve in the past, what role do they have to day, and what part may they come to play in the future? Should they be preserved, teared down og transformed? Will Vardø ever again grow and attract new populations? If so, should the buildings be restored in order to accomodate these newcomers? Who do the buildings belong to - who stands to answer these questions?
What is a built structure when it is no longer in use. How do you move in an empty house. How do you move in empty street or in an empty town or inbetween many empty houses. What are these empty spaces in Vardø. To what limits can we expore the potential of empty homes, spaces, and structures?
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