Time by the Sea is a project by Ole Brodersen delving into the cultural identity and history of Lyngør, known as Europe's Best-Preserved Village. Brodersen's work is highly personal, covering maritime history and the community's contemporary challenges. The project highlights the tension between development and conservation and features portraits of the remaining residents. The portraits underscore the silent yet powerful architecture as a testament to the community's rich cultural heritage. The series captures history, memory, and the ongoing legacy of Lyngør's inhabitants.

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Published in issue #2 2024, Human Narratives

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Ole Brodersen: Time by the Sea explores cultural identity and historical narratives centred around Lyngør, which the EU has celebrated as 'Europe's Best-Preserved Village'. A deeply personal project grounded in my twelfth-generation heritage, it navigates the maritime history and present environmental and socio-economic challenges of this unique community.

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From the Battle of Lyngør in 1812, a pivotal moment in Norway's quest for independence, to the current climate dilemmas and the pressures of commercialisation, the struggle between development and preservation is a constant thread. This tension is particularly palpable in Lyngør's real estate market, where some of Norway's highest property values are juxtaposed with the need to conserve the cultural heritage.

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My aim is to depict the island and capture its essence and allure through my seascapes and landscapes. These artworks speak to human vulnerability and our adaptive strength amidst the world's shifting forces. They also extend to global narratives, examining my grandfather's roles as a war sailor and miner in Peru and the broader implications of maritime trade.

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Through portraits of Lyngør's remaining 45 residents set against the backdrop of their homes, I reveal the island's architectural character as much as its human one, reflecting on the architecture as a silent witness to the community's deep-rooted history and cultural heritage.

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Time by the Sea aims to prompt reflection on the medium's role in capturing history's fleeting moments, the stratified nature of memory, and the latent continuance of Lyngør's last inhabitants—paralleling the analogue medium's ability to capture images yet to be developed—symbolising the unseen yet omnipresent forces that shape our collective future.

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About

Ole Brodersen lives on a car-free island in Norway. His father is a sailmaker, and his grandfather was a sailor. He rowed to school as a child. Brodersen holds a BA in art direction, studied under Dag Alveng, and debuted in 2009 with Atlantic circumnavigation photos. In 2023, Norway's National Photography Museum acquired his work. He exhibited at London's Flowers Gallery for two years and had a solo exhibition in Venice. His work has appeared in Boston, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, The New Yorker and Harper's Magazine. He exhibits his works in wooden frames made by a local boatbuilder.

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www.olebrodersen.com