Økernhendelser 2026: Når kunsten skaper nye fortellinger om byen

These are the questions at the heart of Økernhendelser 2026, an art project curated by performing artist Mine Nilay Yalcin. On Friday, 18 September, TrAP and Kloden Theatre invite audiences to experience three performative art events in public space.

Art as Part of Urban Development

Økern is an area undergoing major transformation. Old industrial buildings are being replaced by housing, offices and new urban spaces. At the same time, this raises the question of how a new neighbourhood develops an identity of its own.

As curator, Mine Nilay Yalcin wants to explore the role art can play in this process. She is interested in how art can create a sense of community, offer new perspectives and generate unexpected encounters in everyday life. In her curatorial text, she describes Økernhendelser as a series of cultural and artistic “stumbling blocks”, events that encourage people to stop, experience their surroundings anew and see the area through different eyes.

Yalcin points to culture as an important part of urban development. As new neighbourhoods emerge, development is not only about buildings and infrastructure, but also about creating a sense of belonging, shared experiences and spaces for imagination. Through Økernhendelser, she aims to activate places that people often simply pass through, opening them up to new experiences and new stories.

Three Artistic Encounters

This year’s programme brings together three artistic practices that explore the relationship between people and urban space in different ways.

In Moving Matters, developed by Mine Nilay Yalcin, twelve performers move as a single collective body through their surroundings. Drawing inspiration from parkour, dance and street theatre, the work brings new attention to details such as railings, kerbs and architecture, transforming the everyday into something unexpected.

In PANOCTOPUS, by Ragni Halle and Andrea Lindeneg, six audience members at a time are invited into a small red tent. This wordless puppet theatre performance draws inspiration from amusement fairs and historical freak shows, exploring the strange and the unknown.

In Et riktig galt show, The Maniac and Mr. Orkester combine fakir performance, live music and street theatre in a show filled with humour, surprises and daredevil stunts.

A Collaboration Between TrAP and Kloden Theatre

Økernhendelser 2026 is a production collaboration between TrAP and Kloden Theatre. Together, they aim to explore how art can create new encounters between people and give public spaces new meanings. Through three distinct artistic practices, audiences are invited to experience the city differently, not simply as a place to move through, but as a place where new stories can emerge.