“WISH YOU WERE HERE” About: Art, inter-disciplinarity, inter-culturality and international development. This book is based on field studies and investigations in the context of art and international development. It focuses on transnational - and intercultural issues and concerns different strategies of art playing a role in development cooperation and art as interventions in society, in organisations and in political contexts relating to development work and the post-colonial setting generally. Nepal is the framework and the question we ask is: Are we all in the same boat? We have worked in an area away from an autonomous artists position; experimenting by engaging ourselves in an NGO in Nepal. It was a field study and an artwork at the same time - an interdisciplinary work in a field that challenge the borders between art intervention and dissolution of the concept of art. The language and tools of art were in dialogue with the language of development – new mixed languages emerged, uniting into an intercultural field beyond “you and me” or “us and them” - focusing on crosscutting issues like gender, civil rights and climate change. This kind of intervention raises questions about how to be involved while at the same time being an observer. It is important for the “results” how these two roles are performed and manifested - it is a line dance and not just an “either or” - or “both”.  Our work as “development artists” led to several kinds of intercultural, professional, personal friendships and collegial relationships. These relationships form the basis of this book. Art poses questions and international development work is supposed to provide solutions. We search for overlaps between questions and solutions, by looking for sites where meetings between disciplines and cultures can take place and develop further. How is it possible to pass on perceptions and experiences from a foreign culture to one’s own and the other way round? - How is it possible to communicate cross- culturally? “Wish You Were Here” contains contributions from various writers having different professional backgrounds and experiences. It has been a great privilege for the making of this book that these writers have been willing to share their knowledge and experiences concerning different aspects of art and development. We are very grateful for their contributions. Nikolaj Kilsmark and Nynne Haugaard, 2010.