Nordland
International
Hospitality
Symposium
Artist: Tone Bjordam
On Røst,
farthest in Lofoten
– and in Bodø
June 2–5, 2026
Thank you for four unique days
The symposium brought together participants for four inspiring days spread across – and between – two very distinctive locations in Nordland: Røst , at the far end of the ocean gap where the Norwegian Sea meets the Vestfjord, and Bodø, the county's vibrant capital.
The program combined magnificent nature, contemporary art and knowledge sharing with dialogue, meetings and social experiences. Participants were invited into spaces for reflection, community and new perspectives on hospitality – as it could be experienced, challenged and shared.
On Røst The participants encountered a small island community where nature, people and history are closely intertwined. The entire group participated in a joint program that included a welcome and performing arts, a tour of Røstlandet, a three-hour archipelago trip to Skomvær, meetings with local actors and a magnificent dinner Along the way, the senses were filled with bird and fish life, iconic islands, artistic expressions and warm togetherness.
In Bodø, several of the city's most important cultural venues opened their doors: the Jektefart Museum, Stormen bibliotek and Nordnorsk kunstmuseum Through lectures, conversations, films, performing arts, visual arts and music, dialogue and reflection on hospitality were facilitated – seen from different perspectives and experiences.
Finally, everyone gathered for a joint celebration in Bodø, first in the newly opened Nordnorsk kunstmuseum and then in Stormen bibliotek – often referred to as Nordland's great hall. Here, participants experienced contemporary art, artist talks, a mini-concert, panel discussions and sharing of experiences.
Background
In 1432, Venetian nobleman Pietro Querini and his crew were stranded on the island Røst in Lofoten after a dramatic journey across the sea. There they were met with extraordinary hospitality by the local people. This act not only saved lives, but also laid the foundation for one of the earliest documented cultural exchanges between South and North in Europe.
The story is the starting point for Via Querinissima, an international collaboration that follows Querini's itinerary through Europe. It is also the inspiration behind the Hospitality Symposium, a new meeting point for reflection, knowledge sharing, and artistic expression.
Nordland County Library is an active partner in Via Querinissima and uses the library's values to strengthen European cultural cooperation. Through initiatives such as the Hospitality Symposium, a traveling exhibition and the dissemination of Querini's account, the county library shows how libraries can contribute to promoting cultural heritage, knowledge and community - in line with both national and European values.
The Hospitality Symposium was held for the first time in June 2026 at Røst and in Bodø. Participants from different countries and fields of study met to explore the meaning of hospitality and how this value can contribute to strengthening community and understanding in our time.
After a storm in 1432, the nobleman Querini from Venice and his crew were stranded on Røst in Lofoten. They were hospitably received by the local population. This is the starting point for a symposium organized by Nordland County Council, in collaboration with Nordland County Library, which will take place over several years, along the route they traveled, back from Røst to Venice. The project starts in June 2026 and thematizes currents – in time, water, and in relation to the international exchange of ideas, art and culture. In the commissioned work Driv, visual artist Tone Bjordam is inspired by Querini's journey. The video functions as a painting in motion, and starts at sea with clouds, fog and an island with buildings typical of the area in the Mediterranean where the journey began in 1431. The colors are inspired by paintings from the 15th century. In the middle of the video work there is a storm that functions as a tipping point from one landscape to another. An object inspired by various things mentioned in Querini's account drifts around in the water. The object consists of a spiked wooden spoon, textiles, dried ginger, amber, gold ring, pearl, shells, seaweed and kelp. And white bird feathers, because it says that they saw many white birds. In the next part of the artwork we enter a different type of landscape. By filming the surface of fish through a microscope; turbot, cod, redfish, salmon, horse mackerel and stockfish, Bjordam paints dramatic landscape paintings, with islands, mountain peaks, underwater creatures, snowdrifts, sea and cloud formations typical of Lofoten. The patterns on a micro level mimic the larger surrounding landscape. In the last video image, the two different landscapes of the Mediterranean and Lofoten merge. Almost 600 years after Querini and the crew wrote down their stories, stories of being in the storm, both literally and figuratively, are just as relevant. Through time, fragments of the drama of enduring in the face of violent natural forces drift in full force, in contrast to evocative calm, kindness, renewal and the way forward. The story is a window of time where the past meets the present. Both the storm and the silence drift through time. And beneath the surface, dreams move with the current, where what was lost has taken on new form.
Thanks to Jan Braly Kihle for technical microscope assistance Nordland County Municipality and Nordland County Library
"Can one be adventurous or hospitable without being open to new thoughts, feelings, or experiences? Can one even meet a person as an equal if one rejects their entire cultural background? Exploration, whether it concerns new countries, new cultures, or new people, is the mirror image of hospitality. Both require one to open oneself to the fact that the world, both internal and external, is larger than one knew. This understanding laid the foundation for the many centuries of close contact between Venice duck Røst "Pietro Querini's journey never ended, it continues to this day, with the exchange of history, food, language, research and culture. The Hospitality Symposium is an exploration of ways of meeting, whether one is the one who travels or the one who receives."
-Christian Torset, philosopher
Bodo:
Stormen bibliotek .
Jektefartmuseet.
Nordnorsk kunstmuseum .
Beddingen cultural center
