Tigerstadskids

"Are you from here? Are you? But then you're also Tigerstadskids!"

The woman in the safari suit looks out over the small crowd. I, a 1.80 cm tall teenager, feel a little out of place in the small room filled with 20 curious kindergarten children. Delight fills the room and the children's eyes are wide as the guide continues to talk about the tiger city we live in. And when the introduction is finished, we set off on our journey ...

I've been to see Tigerstadsteateret 's installation Tigerstadskids. The exhibition is interactive, and if you want, you can be guided through it. The whole installation is meant to represent different parts of Oslo, from Ullern to Bygdøy. Objects are placed around the installation, perhaps a football or a bedside lamp. Speakers are hidden in these objects, and if you put the object up to your ear, you can hear children talking. There are children of all ages, both young and old. Some love hockey, others may be afraid of the dark, while some are just super excited to start first grade. The objects are placed systematically according to where in Oslo the interview was conducted, but the stories and confessions are unique and personal in their own way, each and every one of them.

When I visited the exhibition, I noticed that even though the installation is made for 5th-6th grade, groups of kindergarten children were let in. Personally, I question the choice of letting such young children into an exhibition that combines adult themes and childishness in such a disorganized way. A 12-year-old will understand the point of putting a recording about a kindergarten trip right next to a recording about graduation. I liked how the "adult" stories merged with the children's stories. Whether the 4-year-old sitting next to me enjoyed it as much as I did, I'm not entirely sure. I think children should definitely be set up for conversations about various societal issues, but in this case the topics were slightly out of context. I think this created confusion and perhaps, unfortunately, disinterest among the little ones.

As I said, most of the recordings are about children and their childlike view of the world, but there are also children who will soon become adults who speak. Topics such as bullying and beauty complexes are addressed. In a small room, a boy talks about his dreams. He wants to be a professional football player. In another recording, a soon-to-be-adult girl talks about integration policies and cross-cultural interaction. She has grown older, she understands the world a little better, but inside her burns the will of a child. The will to make things better.

I think the common thread throughout the installation is hope and dreams. A hopeful view of the future that awaits us, and dreams of what will happen in it.

The only thing that got in the way for me personally was that parts of the exhibition were really created for smaller children than me (height-wise). But I had a great time and stayed until my neck hurt.  

By Anna Moberg