Wrap is like a parcel full of technical and spatial possibilities, where you can pick, choose to customise your working environment. This is an idealistic project, run by experienced, professional artists and technicians. Our expertise and years of developing and streamlining the facilities, makes Wrap completely unique within its region. We also co–produce some projects, and program an eclectic mix of exhibitions, concerts, performances and other events in several of our spaces. Our combined activities contribute to increased production and artistic standards, making new connections and increasing awareness between different artists and their work. The centre provides a vibrant and inspiring environment without infringing the autonomy of individual artists and projects. The project is financed with significant help from Bergen City Council and The Arts Council of Norway which, combined with voluntary staff and income from events and projects, helps us to provide the artistic community with high quality resources at pretty symbolic rates.
Wrap was established in 2003 by the foundation History Disposal Unit (HDU) - in practice Leo Preston, Veronica Robbles Thorseth and Gitte Bastiansen (at that given time) – after socio-political campaigning, two large-scale pilot projects, and a creative dialogue with Landlord, Bergen Bygg og Eiendom.
Our first centre was established at the previously disused site of BKK’s (Bergen's municipal electricity company) outlet for gas and coal in Ibsensgate. After six years of creative productivity, the buildings were demolished, and the centre re-housed in Møllendalsveien. The new space is larger and more practical than the previous one, allowing for larger projects and more productivity. It is borrowed from Bergen Council (the cultural department for Bergenhus and Årstad). Projects that have taken place at Wrap have been of almost every imaginable combination and scale between the media of wood and metalwork, photographic and cinema film processing, acoustic and electronic sound, video, painting and performing arts. Events at the centre have ranged from film screenings, workshops and concerts to theatre performances, from AV Jam, a midi-based collaboration between electronic composer/musician, video artist/VJ and performer, to collaborations between visual artists and dancers and choreographers. Wrap has in the past collaborated locally with BIT Teatergarasjen, Bergen Dansesenter and Bergen National Academy of the Arts, and internationally by hosting resident artists from Mexico, Israel, England, Denmark, Mali and France.
Source: WRAP. 28.09.2010: http://wrap.hdu.no/
