Royal Norwegian Foreign Office

Prior to the Bergen Festival Exhibition of 1997
the artist received, and accepted , an invitation
from the Royal Norwegian Foreign Office to
stage a touring exhibition to the following places:

The Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh

St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney.

Sumburgh Airport Buildings, Shetland

Thurso and Wick, N.Scotland

Durham Cathedral, N.E. England

St.Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney, is a major tourist attraction for visitors from around the world.
It is also the focal point for the annual St. Magnus Festival, an event similar to the Bergen Festival, and
the 'Journey of Threads' exhibition was staged at the time of this the 22nd St. Magnus Festival. It is also
to be noted that the Cathedral itself, over 800 years old, was built at a time when Orkney was under
Norse rule. There are very strong links between Orkney and Norway - these links, via The Cathedral,
also 'thread' thier way from Durham Cathedral.

From ancient to modern, so travelled the journey as it then embraced the Airport Facilities at Sumburgh
in Shetland. Not only were the art works displayed within the main public areas, but the airport
management also made available some viewing room/s on the upper level, for the benefit of travellers
with more time availabe for viewing the works.

"It is generally agreed that the (stone) masons employed in Kirkwall (on the St. Magnus Cathedral in 1137)
had been trained at Durham." 1*
Thus the Journey of Threads completed it's schedule with an exhibition inside this massive and inspiring
Cathedral, which again is a major attraction for world-wide tourists.

At both Edinburgh and Durham facilities enabled the exhibiting of a 'travelling version' of Ragnhild Monsen's
work called "Hope", more generally referred to as 'Rainbow."

"Hope" is a very large work, originally commissioned as an altar piece for a church at Sorreisa, North
Norway - which lies well inside the Polar Circle. You can see more of this on this website. The version
that travelled with the 'Journey of Threads' was only 6 metres long, 4.8 metres high and almost 1 metre
wide. It's total weight was over half a ton and it comprised almost 4,000 individually hand-dyed nylon
threads - incidentally purchased from a fishing net supplier in the area of Sorreisa - finished at their bases
with a hand-polished stainless steel tubing.

At this point in this text, the artist and her team, wishes to extend again her most sincere thanks for all
the many kindnesses, the planning, the exceptional hard work, the reception 'feasts', the thoughtful and
considerate wealth of hospitality that was extended to her by all during this memorable tour. The ability
of the human spirit to 'pull out all the stops' in the name of art and inspiration was never more nobly
demonstrated than by so many, so very many, during this 'Journey of Threads'.

"Tusen hjertelig takk" is Norwegian, and it simply and honestly means " a thousand heartfelt thanks"

There have always existed close links between Norway and Scotland, The Islands and the North East of
England. With the advent of greater independence for Scotland within the United Kingdom, the Royal
Norwegian Foreign Office was pleased to affirm these existing links and strengthen
the bonds of friendship.

The choice of venues was by no means accidental.

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and the seat of the exciting New Scottish Parliament, was the start
of this journey of threads. Professor Duncan MacMillan, art historian and curator of the Talbot Rice Gallery
which forms a part of the Old University of Edinburgh, had visited the Bergen Exhibition and warmly
welcomed this tour to Scottish soil and to Edinburgh.