Ingrid Solvik, James Fox, Reidun Solvik

Stria is an old Norse word meaning "hard labor" and has been used to describe the busy time before christmas. Slaughtering, pickling and production of clothing and gifts, were all important tasks. Julestria is still a well-used term today, although the tasks have changed and much of today's bustle concerns finding the time to buy everything needed of gifts and decorations to get in the right Christmas mood. But who has taken over our previous tasks? How much Christmas spirit is there in Yiwu? - the Chinese Christmas town 300 km south of Shanghai, where 600 factories produces 60% of all Christmas decoration in the world.

Where does the Christmas spirit come from - can it be purchased?

Who makes our Christmas decoration and our presents - and under what conditions?

What significance and value does it have if our Christmas decorations are handmade, mass produced by a factory worker or made by a robot?

Ingrid Solvik 

(b. 1986) is an artist and scenographer. She has studied at the Norwegian Film School and has a master's degree in Bio-digital Architecture at ESARQ in Barcelona. A study that focuses on digital production methods and alternative solutions for the future.

James Fox 

(b. 1980) is a "robot engineer," developer and a teacher at Kuben high school, at the automation department. He has studied automation/cybernetics in Norway, has graduate as an electrical engineer from the United States, as well as biomedical engineering from Germany. Today he runs his own company, AbidA As, and is engaged in maker- and hackerspace, Bitraf, at Youngstorget, besides his teachers' duties. He has worked for and done projects for KUKA, SINTEF/NTNU, Snøhetta Architects and is one of the main developers behind Lundin Norway's "Breaking the Surface" installation.

Reidun Solvik

(b.1986) is an artist, art director and creator. She has a bachelor's degree in visual communication and has studied Interactive Art Direction by Hyper Island in Stockholm. After graduating, she has among others worked for Moment Factory in Montreal, one of the world's leading interactive multimedia systems and stage shows.

The project is conducted with contributions from:

KUKA - that lends us the industrial robot KR 16-2

Kuben Yrkesarena (Cube Arena/High School) - that helped with work premises and sponsoring

AbidA AS - who programs the robot and stands behind the system architecture, machine building, as well as sponsors the project

Bitraf - which assists the machine construction around the robot

Rikter Svendsen - sponsoring gift wraps to the robot's Christmas Workshop

Harald Dahl Kontorutstyr AS - which sponsors glue sticks to the robot's Christmas Workshop

Big thanks to: Automation department vg2 and vg3/Kuben High School, Nordvik Manifestation/Torbjørn Nordvik, Rene Ullrich, Thomas Winther, Vetle Ruud Solicki, Ludvig Hoelstad, Aksel Brodin Arnesen, Trym Eklo, Natan Kacper Podlesny og Jens Dyvik for work and contribution to the robot

Kulturbyrået Mesén is producer and curator of the initiative art space - Rom for Kunst