Pøbel and Dolk, Lofoten Islands, Norway

In 2008, the Norwegian artists, Pøbel and Dolk organised the “Getto Spedalsk” (“Ghetto Leper”) urban art project to draw attention to the depopulation and decay occurring in rural Norway, specifically on the remote Lofoten Islands, 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Over the next few years, they worked on murals on abandoned barns throughout the islands. The pieces tend to be somewhat lighthearted — see Julie Andrews singing and Batman being pushed in his wheelchair by Robin. But, having been exposed to Arctic weather for several years, the weather-beaten images take on a rather ghostly tone, too. Not all of the originals can still be seen, as a few barns have been torn down in the intervening years.

Excuse the raindrops and grey skies, I went out hunting these in driving rain. Nevertheless, it was fun searching for them. I had only a vague idea of where to look so it was quite thrilling to randomly come across a mural while driving around these rural islands.