Manual for
N55
Producing, transmitting and receiving radio on Svalbard 1999
Introduction:
N55 works with art as a part of everyday life. See ART
AND REALITY.
For more than 25 years, we have been publishing manuals for things that are part of our everyday life – and we continue to do so. They reflect different ways of living and thinking across various social constellations and situations. Some of the things described are still in use, while others are no longer in use. In any case, we hope these manuals will continue to serve as inspiration for others.
Construction:
N55 is a platform for persons who wants to work together, share places
to live, economy, and means of production.
N55 is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, supplemented with studios in other places.
Production / distribution:
N55 has its own means of production and distribution.
Manuals for N55 things are published at www.N55.dk and in the N55 periodical.
Furthermore, N55 things are implemented in various situations around the
world, initiated by N55 or in collaboration with different persons and
institutions. Most of N55 works are Open Source provided under the rules of Creative Commons as specified here. Any use of N55´s works must include proper credits to N55 and a link to www.N55.dk.
Economy:
N55 is financed by exhibitions, grants
and educational work. We also sell fair, durable, environmentally and socially sustainable products, based on homemade Open Source systems.
Politics:
N55 suggests respecting conditions for description: logical relations
and facts, as a basis for politics.
Ideologies, religions, subjective opinions, social conventions, and habitual
conceptions do not necessarily respect conditions for description.
An example of a decisive logical relation is the logical relation between
persons and their rights. Persons should be treated as persons and therefore
as having rights. If we deny this assertion it goes wrong: here we have
a person, but this person should not be treated as a person, or: here
is a person, who should be treated as a person, but not as having rights.
Therefore we can only talk about persons in a way that makes sense if
we know that persons have rights.
An example of a decisive fact is that concentrations of power characterise
our society. Concentrations of power do not necessarily respect person's
rights.
Concentrations of power force persons to concentrate on participating
in competition and power games, in order to create a social position for
themselves. Concurrently with the concentrations of power dominating our
conscious mind and being decisive to our situations, the significance
of our fellow humans diminishes. And our own significance becomes the
significance we have for concentrations of power, the growth of concentrations
of power, and the conflicts of concentrations of power. It is decisive
that persons try to find ways of existing with as small concentrations
of power as possible.
History:
In 1994, a non-commercial exhibition space and laboratory was initiated at Nørre Farimagsgade 55 in Copenhagen. This collaboration led to the formation of N55.
In 1996, a group of people began living together in an apartment in central Copenhagen. Their aim was to “rebuild the city from within,” using their everyday lives as a platform for public events and collaborations.
By the year 2000, two key structures – FLOATING PLATFORM and N55 SPACEFRAME – were built in the harbour area. The N55 SPACEFRAME served as a base for local initiatives and interventions, as well as a combined living and working space until 2003, when two of the participants left N55 (a list of former participants can be found here).
Ingvil and ion continued the work, publishing new projects such as MICRO DWELLINGS, SMALL TRUCK, and N55 ROCKET SYSTEM.
In 2005, Ingvil
Aarbakke, co-founder of N55, passed away, leaving behind her husband ion Sørvin and their son Frode. Since then, ion has carried on the work of N55 in collaboration with various persons. In 2009, he created the WALKING HOUSE.
Since 2010, ion has lived and worked together with architect Anne Romme. They have raised their son Sigfus and Frode together, and developed several ongoing projects including the SPACEPLATES GREENHOUSE and the SHELTER VILLAGE, both of which continue to evolve.
Since 2011, ion has also collaborated with Till Wolfer. Together, they developed the first XYZ SPACEFRAME VEHICLE, now known as XYZ CARGO bikes, in the N55 studio in Copenhagen. . This inspired a vision for socially and environmentally sustainable local production of cargo bikes.
Since then, new models have been developed, and the collaboration has also produced the PARKCYCLE SWARM and XYZ OPEN CITY.
N55 continues its activities both locally and internationally.
As of 2025, the N55 OFFICE is located at Prinsessegade 75, 1422 Copenhagen K, Denmark. In addition, N55 maintains studios in Føns, Denmark, and Hamburg, Germany.
Read more about N55 here: ABOUT
Updated biography at www.N55.dk/CV.html
FRIT VALG (FREE CHOICE), Nørre Farimags-gade 55. Alternative to the Danish election, 1994.
IT IS AN ILLUSION THAT WE LIVE IN TIME AND SPACE, demonstration, Copenhagen 1995.
ART AND REALITY, Louisiana Museum, Denmark 1996.
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AIR CUSHION, Copenhagen 1996.
Beer brewing by Jakob Jakobsen and HOME HYDROPONIC UNIT by N55, Studiestræde 1997.
HYGIENE SYSTEM - EXTENDED, Studiestræde, Copenhagen 1998.
N55 SPACEFRAME and FLOATING PLATFORM, Copenhagen 2000.
