.. a journey through landscapes of nature and culture, retracing the historic path from Oslo to Rjukan — the echoes of Romanticism meet today’s search for meaning, offering a space to reflect, reconnect, and rediscover the sublime.

 

 

The Artists Way is an interdisciplinary project based on the historic route from Oslo to Rjukan. A path that opened Norway to the wider world during a time of dramatic societal transitions and groundbreaking innovation driven by the French Revolution and the wonderchild of the Enlightenment: the Industrial Revolution. It was an age of profound existential questions, captured in the timeless poetry, music, and art of perhaps the most iconic cultural movement in history, Romanticism.

 

The Romantics emerged as a response to the developments of their time and became the world’s first great protest movement against the destruction and exploitation of both people and nature. Today, as we stand on the threshold of what has been labeled the Fourth Industrial Revolution—where the internet, social media, digitalization, biotechnology, robotics, quantum computing and artificial intelligence converge into a new, all-encompassing system — we are regenerating this historic cultural route, as well as the romantic spirit it represents. 

​

With The Artists Way, we invite people to embark on what was traditionally called ‘Bildungsreise’, a formative journey of both outer exploration and inner reflection, just as our ancestors did in the 1800’s: into nature and culture in search of the sublime, to gain larger perspectives and find greater clarity in meeting the monumental changes they faced then,

and we face again now.

​

Daniel Nyiri, Tinn, 2024

 

 

The Artists Way project has experienced quite a remarkable and vibrant development  since its launch by Daniel Nyiri in the summer of 2024. Stretching all the way from Oslo to Rjukan — the project  has sparked an enthusiastic and diverse network of collaborators, including 5 museums, municipalities, associations, and community organizations.

 

What makes The Artists Way unique, is its ability to weave connections across disciplines and sectors: contemporary and historic art, cultural heritage, outdoor life, tourism, agriculture, local development and business innovation are all sectors that is being slowly woven together into an arena where culture, history, and nature meet.

​

In 2026, a new interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral board will be established to guide the next stage of the project’s development, ensuring strong and visionary leadership. Meanwhile, the association Rjukan Solarpunk Academy (RSA) will remain formally registered, but with a more subtle role as the three emerging associations strengthen their foundations. In the future, RSA may be reactivated—potentially as a unifying digital and organizational platform to connect these initiatives and new partners who may join along the way.

​

​The video below features reflections of the mountaineer and eco-philosopher Nils Faarlund, who is working with us on the development of this project. Here he explains the historical background of the project, as well as the history of the Deep Ecology movement in Norway, which he founded with his friends Arne Næss and Sigmund Kvaløy Setreng in the 60’s.