Since Ruins Bragdøya one of the purposes of the installation has been to collect stories and messages. Thus, The Book of Ruins was created, where the following questions were asked: 

The notes were displayed in the installation, as agreed with the first participants who shared their stories, indicating in this way this would happen to the notes left by later visitors.  

 

And later The Book of Repairs, asking whether visitors have anything  needing repairing - became a part of Ruins Ovartaci

 

Including the notes through displaing them, as well as through The Book of Ruins and The Book of Repeairs, is also a representation of the interweaving of different and divergent fragments. The stories and notes were written by people of different ages, cultural heritages, ancestries, backgrounds, and nationalities. They address questions asked in The Book of Ruins, but also follow their own understanding and interpretation. There are even discussions beteween notes and comments on both the installation and the notes written by others.

 

One can say that the visitors expressed their experience of the interwoven elements on a personal level. In this way the history connected to the site, the stories told through the installation, and the stories shared through the messages presented this possible shared story, a collective story, crossing borders, heritage and history.

Collecting stories

what is your most important heritage?

who was your grandmother?

why do children have to run so much?

what makes your free?