In 2011 photographer Marije Kuiper went in search of the northern feeling, one which is difficult to describe but experienced by many, one they long to return to or which serves as source of inspiration. The quest for the northern feeling took the shape of portraits of northerners either expressing that northern feeling, experiencing it or indeed searching it out. Explore the North commissioned her to photograph and interview various ‘northerners’. Every week a new portrait accompanied by a brief story was published on the Explore the North website. The festival exhibition was held in the Grote Kerk.