Flâneries in a Northern Urban Landscape. Affective atmospheres, diffuse museum and the creation of Heritage in the 21st century.

Abstract

The present paper by Saphinaz Naguib and its integrated photographic essay by Stein Farstadvoll address the cultural dimension of sustainability and questions pertaining to heritage in the twenty-first century, with Vardø, a small fishing town in the north-eastern coast of Norway, as our object of study. The two essays are set in a dialogic relationship with each other, and explore the notions of ecomuseum and “diffuse museum” that are taking root among scholars in museum and heritage studies. We investigate strategies used to prompt, shape and stage affective atmospheres in projects related to the production of heritage. Taking the tropes of <i>flânerie</i> and </i>flâneur/flâneuse</i> out of vibrant metropolises and over to the quieter rural context of Vardø, we stroll through the streets, observe people and their activities, look at buildings and things, contemplate the surrounding landscape, visit neighbouring sites, and try to get a feel of the place and its history. The photographic essay by Farstadvoll brings forth the <i>ambiente</i> and affective atmosphere surrounding our flâneries through the town and the surrounding environment.