Alternating Routes

TKF’s Festival exhibition presented the work of artist Michelle Deignan, premiering her new film, On Common Ground, exploring the politics of class, identity and landscape at a moment of unique change in 19th-century Germany and Ireland.

Audiences could explore Michelle Deignan's captivating narratives through the exhibition, Alternating Routes. Her moving-image works delve into themes of identity, nationalism, feminism, and class politics, often employing humour and transitioning seamlessly from documentary to experimental fiction. The exhibition features the premiere of a meticulously crafted new film set in 1837, portraying a pivotal moment as the personal union between the Kingdom of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland comes to an end. The film takes us on a mesmerising journey with Ida, an aspiring writer, through landscapes in what are today Germany and Ireland.

Deignan's cinematic tapestry poignantly explores women as travel writers and the challenges they faced in 1837. Ida's defiance against societal norms reveals a quest for creative autonomy, celebrating the resilience of women who challenged expectations. An encounter on the Beara Peninsula in Ireland unfolds into a commentary on untold stories, reflecting on the transformative power of storytelling, and offers new insights into this misunderstood territory, nestled in a sublime natural environment.

Tromsø Kunstforening has presented the festival exhibition in tandem with TIFF, every year since 2001.

Curator: Leif Magne Tangen

Producer: James S. Lee & Ruth Aitken

Technicians: Robert Julian B. Hvistendahl, Amalie Holthen, Kaja Boudewijn, Mihály Stefanovicz, Olga Gry Becker, Markus Fredriksen, Siri Mari Vitalis Larsen, Matthew Grant.

Translation: Terje S.C.Øverås

Design: a r c