Today’s forecast was good and the clouds lifted, revealing just how light it gets around midday now. So, given it looks to be a pretty stormy day tomorrow I thought I would make the most of the still conditions, don some ski trousers, get toasty and go for a proper round-town trek.
One of the interesting things I came accross was this little hut. Made in August last year by artist Solveig Egeland (with help from volunteers) from waste gathered on the annual svalbard coast clean up. It has caused quite some controversy in town, given it received money from the Environment Protection Fund and the enticement to volunteers to get involved was to win a trip to Venice (!). Originally, it was due to be taken down again, but I’m really glad people stepped up at the last minute to take responsibility for maintaining it. This might be candidate for the best symbolic image of the PhD yet – so many questions of what is valuable, how it should be valued, what should be protected and how, who gets to decide and how to engage people in environmental issues are enmeshed in this amazing hut. Plus it embodies the Flowering Elbow ethos – making cool stuff with would-be waste!
samsaville.org 
ha ha, interesting to see what you thought of it. I have more pics. I thought it was a rocket shaped sauna to begin with! There are interesting details, and of course some art-style randomness inside, and a guest book. Lot’s of people like it who have visited. Alyson, alas I would be standing on the shoulders of giants who have done a good job at making many of those arty photo-books already. Glad you like them though 🙂
Exciting photos! Got to say the portaloo thing looks like a bit of an eyesore to me… Interesting value questions – lots of things seem to gain value when people have participated in making them…
I love the light! You should make a glossy ‘art coffee table book’ full of them! Anyway, the shed thing looks like a glorified telephone box, portaloo, or the tardis! All meant positively, as all three (?) are useful. And re-using waste is always good.