Nis Rømer Artist, educator & curator

Workarounds, Field Work (2010)
32 A3 drawings, fieldwork and workshop
Bucharest Biennale #4 (BB4) - On Producing Possibilities, 25. May - 25. July. 2010. Curated by Felix Voegel. & at Goloss, Copenhagen Curated by Katarina Stenbeck

Workaround, n.
'A workaround is a bypass of a recognized problem in a system. It is typically a temporary fix that implies that a genuine solution to the problem is needed. Theoretically, workarounds are always replaced by fixes; in practice, people often find themselves living with workarounds for long periods of time.Typically they will not respond well to further pressure from a system beyond the original design. Placing pressure on a workaround may result in later failures in the system.'
(thefreedictionary.com and dictionary.com)

In collaboration with students of International Academy of Art Palestine we have been looking for and documenting workarounds in the everyday life of people living on the Westbank. Because of the political and geographical situation life is made difficult in a number of ways. In such a situation you have to use what you can gain access to, to the fullest and invent new ways and methods to make your everyday work.

A workaround is defined from two sides; from the external obstacles that needs to be bypassed but also by the creativity from the one who is coming up with alternative ways. Using the inventory attitude to create workarounds is an act of balance between making your everyday work and not to reach a stage of acceptance of the state of things. In this way it defines a way of acting that is not a demonstration but rather shows points where acts of everyday life and international politics intertwine and shape each other.

In collaboration with students at the International Academy of Art Palestine, Ramallah. Palestine
- Omaya Salman, Khaled Jarrar, Mo’ayad Amleh, Reema Al Tawil, Awatef Roumiyeh, Dima Hourani, Bisan abu Easha, Taqu Aldeen Alsbateen, Jamal Sabri, Ramzi Assad, Ayed Arafa, Abdullah Awad, Somood Khafash, Osama Nazal, Razan Akremawy, Noor Abed, Asma Ghanim, Sahar Alkateeb.