As part of a new national initiative by Public Art Norway (KORO) three cities were chosen to explore and advance the role of artists in urban planning, Sans façon was invited by curators Katja Aßmann and Anne-Gro Erikstad and the department of Culture and Industry for the municipality of Trondheim to be part of the art masterplan for Nyhavna.

Nyhavna is a transitioning industrial harbourside on the edge of Trondheim urban centre. With a contested heritage of being a major German submarine base in WW2, it is currently a mix of industries, artists studios, cultural institutions and storage. Nyhavna is undergoing a major development process where central industrial and port areas will be transformed into varied land use, pedestrian-centred, with green structure and residential areas.

By virtue of being a pioneer project, the team of artists—Prerna Bishnoi, Nikolaus Gangsterer, Edvine Larsen, Lisa Torell and Sans façon—were invited to develop propositions in dialogue with each other, the curators and the key stakeholders, producing an alternative to the traditional "add-on art process" where urban planning and construction processes determine sites for art.

Our contribution, The Nyhavna Attitude, defined how artists can be ‘placed' at the heart of the shifting context to create situations and circumstances of influence, on the assertion that artists are uniquely placed to explore, reveal, connect, demonstrate, invent and invite us all on a journey, finding richer more complex conclusions / possibilities within a changing context. Nyhavna could instigate a way of thinking about the renewal / evolution of these places, where the importance of the identity of the harbour is seen as more than physical traits, symbols, buildings and artifacts, where the social role of a harbour within the city is what is precious, an attitude, a culture, an essence of what a harbour is.

The Nyhavna Attitude would demonstrate a societal acceptance of the complementary value of artists in thinking about our society and our cities. Through three initiatives, ‘Miami Beach’, the 'Nyhavna Cohort’, 'Nyhavna In-situ’, the Nyhavna Attitude presents a series of culture shifts to working with artists laying the ground for other cities to rethink the role of artists in society and in particular in places in flux.

Curators: Katja Aßmann, Anne-Gro Erikstad

Other artists contributions to the plan: Prerna Bishnoi Art plan as a tool, Nikolaus Gangsterer Abcdaire for Nyhavna, Edvine Larsen Proposal Poems, Lisa Torell The Love Affair

Partners: Academy of Fine Art at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); The City of Trondheim; Trondheim Port Authority