Cow

In June 2017 the artist, mountaineer, and glacier guide Steinar Laumann, began a walk with the cows Grålin and Sølvi, a mother and her calf. After hearing about an old Norwegian trading and herding route, he became inspired by the idea of recreating this journey across Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on mainland Europe, and through natural and cultured landscapes of Southern Norway. This began Laumann’s multi-year project—beginning with the need to learn about cows and subsequently find a cow to borrow and have as a traveling companion. Speaking with local cow association leaders and farmers, he learned about various types of cows, and which would make an ideal partner: one with a calm demeanor who’d be comfortable outside the field. After some time, a farmer agreed to lend him a cow under the condition that he live and work on the farm for several months to get to know Grålin, the cow that would join him on this walk. The time on the farm was extended (the trip postponed) to include the newly born group member: Grålin’s calf Sølvi. When the day finally came, the farmer dropped them off at Sota; a human and two cows embarked on an 80-day trip by crossing over the mountain Handspiki. 

What might have been an isolated journey became a communal event as people around the country followed the flock online, listening to their moves across fields and paths. During the journey, Grålin wore two microphones: one by each ear to create a multidimensional sound recording of the daily life of a cow. These recordings allow the listener to consider how it would feel to take part in the daily life of a cow—tasks like eating, ruminating, and shitting; moments like hearing a fly go by. Attached to Sølvi’s neck was a GPS transmitter so that others could identify their whereabouts every 10 minutes. Some traveled to meet them and participate for sections of the walk. When the route went through towns, people came out of their houses to greet them and offer sustenance – farmers gifted cow food in the form of energy pellets along the way. A search for a ferry needed to get them across a fjord was broadcast on local radio.

During the trip, Laumann found the route and the cows set the pace. A stretch that would usually take him a day took six. They not only had to stop at the whim of Grålin but had to adapt to each of the group member’s needs. For instance, when the path became too formidable for Sølvi inexperienced legs, Laumann pulled the calf on a sled across the snow for several kilometers. Learning to walk in “cow-speed” also meant learning to be patient and to collaborate. During a storm they all slept together in a tent to stay safe from the rain. Laumann not only re-created what he’d learned from old tales of herders crossing Norway from “West-to-east” with animals and goods, but he transformed this practice into a complex performance that made space for himself and others to reconsider what it means to be in relation with the more-than-human world.