GaliBlog: Chronicles of Contemporary Art & Culture

Death & taxes @ tidens krav

2012-01-19T20:54:00.001+01:00

Xmas spirit

2011-12-31T10:45:00.001+01:00

Toy portraits

2011-12-31T10:41:00.001+01:00

Xmasparty @ mesen

2011-12-19T17:23:00.001+01:00

Ugress - Regression 22

2011-12-15T16:29:00.000+01:00

Title track from the documentaryfilm "Pushwagner".

Music: Ugress
Idea and concept music video and director of the Ugress shoot: Karianne Berge
Directors of the Pushwagner shoot: August B. Hanssen and Even Benestad
Director of photography Ugress shoot: Ida Solheim-Olsen
Director of Photography Pushwagner shoot: Øystein Mamen
Edditing: Karianne Berge og Simon M. Jones-Tyridal
Keying og gfx: Simon M. Jones-Tyridal
Grading: Ida Solheim-Olsen og Simon M. Jones-Tyridal
Greenscreen studio: Varde Studio

Pushwagner is shot on RED ONE, rented by Eirik Tyrihjel
Ugress is shot on Sony EX1, rented by TV-Team.

Producert: Carsten Aanonsen, Indie Film AS

PUSHWAGNER is a close and artistic portrait that retraces the life of the vibrant Norwegian artist. Pushwagner's journey to fame and recognition has not been an easy one. He has spent several years as a hobo and has struggled with various drug addictions. Today the hardened 71-year-old is among the most celebrated artists in Norway and is on the verge of making a big name for himself on the international art scene. Thematically the movie centers on identity and control – themes specifically echoed in Pushwagner’s stage persona and art. A friendly duel emerges between directors and subject - who is in control of the creative process?

Borrowed from Karianne Berge @ Vimeo

Round table debate @ Kunsthall Oslo

2011-12-14T20:17:00.001+01:00

Discussing the book Ny norsk kunst etter 1990 (new norwegian art after 1990) by Øystein Ustvedt. From left to right: Øyvind Storm Bjerke, Øystein Ustvedt, Per Gunnar Eeg-Tverrbak, Erling Moestu Bugge, Kåre Bulie and Ingvill Henmo.

Designobjects @ Eske

2011-12-12T20:56:00.001+01:00

Xmas show @ kunstneforbundet

2011-12-05T00:25:00.001+01:00

Dan Colen @ Astrup Fearnley Museum

2011-03-28T20:56:00.002+02:00

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Snapshots of objects

2011-02-25T21:01:00.005+01:00

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Anna Daniell @ Trafo project space

2011-02-05T15:05:00.001+01:00

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Snapshots from bgo @ Bergen kunstmuseum

2011-01-27T20:06:00.001+01:00

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Absolute installation @ the contemporary art museum

2011-01-12T20:26:00.001+01:00

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Michael Borremanns @ Kunstnernes Hus

2011-01-10T21:35:00.001+01:00

Michael Borremanns @ Kunstnernes Hus

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Visit 2 Lillehammer art museum

2011-01-06T15:45:00.001+01:00

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Xmas exhibition @ podium

2010-12-26T17:31:00.001+01:00

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Dan Graham's pavilion @ Moderna Museet

2010-12-23T17:31:00.001+01:00

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Opening of Kunsthall Oslo

2010-09-19T00:45:00.001+02:00

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Sverre Malling @ Kunstnerforbundet

2010-09-16T21:44:00.001+02:00

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Le cru et le cuit in Paris

2010-09-16T16:45:00.001+02:00

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Høstutstillingen 2010

2010-09-11T11:19:00.001+02:00

opening party

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Ernesto Neto @ Astrup Fearnley Museum

2010-09-07T22:33:00.002+02:00

Ernesto Neto: Intimacy @ Astrup Fearnley Museum

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1 timers & 2 liners @ trabant

2010-09-05T15:01:00.004+02:00

exhibition at trabant, a vintage clothes store in Oslo

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Art @ Hotel Continental

2010-09-03T12:29:00.001+02:00

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Johannes Vemren Rygh @ RAM

2010-08-31T17:32:00.001+02:00

Johannes Vemren Rygh: Ontologos @ RAM gallery

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more retro cam art

2010-08-31T00:52:00.001+02:00

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retro cam art

2010-08-31T00:37:00.001+02:00

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2000 Lillestrøm

2010-08-28T22:10:00.001+02:00

Line Viste Grønli: Adelheid Duvanel

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Ane Mette Hol @ Lautom Contemporary

2010-08-26T21:17:00.001+02:00

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spectre @ Christian Torp gallery

2010-08-26T20:54:00.001+02:00

Geir Yttervik

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Jan Freuchen @ Erik Steen gallery

2010-08-26T20:16:00.001+02:00

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Torbjørn Kvasbø in his studio

2010-08-24T18:06:00.001+02:00

@ Venabygd

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smug 2

2010-08-24T08:50:00.001+02:00

on my way 2 Venabygd I finally got around 2 read smug magazine... Peter Amdam does a pretty good interview w Gardar Eide Einarsson...

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Dark currents @ Fotogalleriet

2010-08-19T21:29:00.001+02:00

Dark Currents @ fotogalleriet

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Kristin Nordhøy @ Tegnerforbundet

2010-08-19T21:25:00.001+02:00

Kristin Nordhøy: reinforced @ Tegnerforbundet

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Thomas Falstad @ Tegnerforbundet

2010-08-19T21:18:00.001+02:00

Thomas Falstad: laments @ Tegnerforbundet

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Thomas Falstad @ Tegnerforbundet

2010-08-19T19:13:00.001+02:00

artist Thomas Falstad & Tegnerforbundet

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skateboard art @ Maria Veie galley

2010-08-13T20:06:00.001+02:00

current exhibition: Lars Kjemphol: woodland

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Norwegian Crafts Issue 2 2010

2010-08-11T02:32:00.001+02:00

As you may or may not have noticed a new issue of Norwegiancrafts.no has been published. The theme of this issue is Craft and economy, and I can inform you that a new report from British Crafts Council shows that crafts in the UK is doing well. The report also shows that craft fairs are significant venues for experiencing and buying craft objects.

I visited Collect and Eunique this summer and you can read about this too in this issue. In addition I'm fairly satisfied with "the editor's introduction", so if you enjoy craft I suggest you have a look. By the way, for all you people out there who thinks that craft is just boring pottery or some sort of food or music, I warn you that this website is about 'artistic' craft. Great objects filled with discourses concerning material, contemporary society and concepts...

Hanne Frey Husø @ SOFT

2010-08-10T13:09:00.001+02:00

Current exhibition @ SOFT gallery: Hanne Frey Husø: morfologi om morgenen.

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Frode Markhus – Fast Times at Knekt High

2010-08-03T19:37:00.005+02:00

Frode Markhus – Fast Times at Knekt High this Friday!
Check it out here and Frode Markhus' website here

art militia @ schugacube

2010-08-02T16:30:00.001+02:00

Check out the online presentation of art militia @ schugacube

"The art militia was founded in 2007 - It can be considered both an extension of, and a rebellion against, the project “Pink Army” led by Jennie Hagevik Bringaker. Within this context the militia is a rogue faction, borne by a rejection of monochrome idealism. In its struggle to define and operate in a separate territory, the project takes it all too seriously. It is however essential to the founding idea that the (para) military structure is more than mere appearance. As a social sculpture in a limited format the militia is an attempt to transplant the mechanics of a very particular social realm into the world of art– juxtaposing elements generally considered mutually exclusive. In this impossible balancing act military method becomes a tool for making art, and the building of esprit de corps an aesthetic goal." (from schugacube's website)

dada design @ DogA

2010-07-29T18:24:00.001+02:00

je suis dada - design from flanders @ DogA

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Furuhœlvetica @ DogA

2010-07-29T18:19:00.001+02:00

Signe Solberg: Haugsjå, pine & steel. on view in the exhibition Furuhœlvetica @ DogA

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Ane Lan goes 2 Russia & Uganda

2010-07-29T13:54:00.001+02:00

I got this postcard from Ane Lan announcing performances in st. Petersburg 8 & 9 Aug and kampala, Uganda, 18 & 19 Sep

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Venke and Rolf Hoff opens art space in Lofoten

2010-07-26T16:50:00.001+02:00

According to The Art Newspaper, art collectors Venke And Rolf Hoff plans to open an art space in Lofoten.

"Venke Hoff and her husband Rolf are one of the main collectors for contemporary art in the Nordic countries. “Our aim is not establishing a venue for showing parts of our own collection, but inviting international artists for shows”, said Hoff." (The Art Newspaper)

The art space is to be opened in an old caviar factory in 2012.

Baader Meinhof the movie

2010-07-26T15:35:00.001+02:00

saw this movie the other day, pretty good, won the Alfred Bauer award @ the international film festival in Berlin... the story claims to be the true version of what happened to the terrorist group RAF... Odd Nerdrum painted a picture about Baader's death in the late 70s it early 80s where Baader is portrayed as a martyr... it is one of Nerdrum's most political works and very strong visually as well...

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Lee Miller @ Stenersenmuseum

2010-07-25T23:59:00.021+02:00

Lee Miller: Self portrait in headband, New York Studio, New York, USA, 1932.
© Lee Miller Archives, England 2010. All rights reserved.

Good friends @ Alexander Ochs Gallery (Berlin)

2010-07-24T15:00:00.000+02:00

ANDREAS AMRHEIN | GOOD FRIENDS, ALEXANDER OCHS GALLERIES BERLIN | BEIJING, Berlin, 12.06.-24.07.2010

strange age art festival

2010-07-23T23:22:00.001+02:00

36 hour art festival @ podium this weekend.

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Larry River's daughter wants videos back

2010-07-13T02:23:00.000+02:00

According to the New York Times, Larry River's (1923 - 2002) daughter, Emma Tamburlini, is demanding that video material showing her and her sister nude will be handed back to her.

Koons sets an auction record

2010-07-05T14:25:00.002+02:00

According to the Artnewspaper Jeff Koons sold the work Loopy, dated 1999, for £3.4m (est £2.5m-£3.5m) @ Christie’s last week.

"The sale marks an auction record for a painting for the artist, but is at a price considerably lower than Koons’ auction record of £12.9m, set in June 2008 (just before the contemporary market’s wobbles), and also at Christie’s in London, for Balloon Flower – Magenta, 1995-2000.", the article says.

Craft, the art of the handmade, is cool

2010-05-27T15:09:00.002+02:00

According to The Independent Louis Vuitton wants his product to be associated with craftsmanship. Read 'Liz Hoggard: Reweaving the morality of fashion'.

Collecting object impressions @ Saatchi

2010-05-19T01:48:00.004+02:00

Thursday through Saturday I was in London, enjoying a visit in connection with Collect - an international fair for contemporary objects - at the Saatchi Gallery.

[Heidi Bjørgan: ceramics @ Gallery Format's stand]

(Enjoy more pix from the fair @ Norwegiancrafts.no@flickr.com)

From Norway the Gallery Format and the Gallery Kunst1 participated with together seventeen makers ranging from small jewellery pieces to large scupltures and textiles.

Friday a seminar on "the SPEED of craft" was held with among others Norwegian curator and theorist Jorunn Veiteberg. She talked about a work of Kjell Rylander that takes a McDonald's disposable coffe cup as departure point and mixes it with porcelain. (Image can be seen in this article: http://www.norwegiancrafts.no/issues/01-2010/the-speed-of-arts-and-crafts/)

Saturday a day long seminar on Nordic identity in craft were held by the curator group Forming Ideas with support from the Nordic Associations for Craft and Crafts Council UK. From Norway participated Widar Halén, Director of Design and Craft at The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo. He talked about how certain Norwegian craft artists reuse traditional expressions and materials in a new way.

New website for Norwegian crafts

2010-05-06T15:59:00.003+02:00

I have been busy lately doing interviews with the top notch artists and professionals of the Norwegian crafts scene and today the new website Norwegiancrafts.no was launched featuring material on Nordi identity in craft, ceramics artist Heidi Bjørgan and the upcoming exhibition SPEED

Art fair Tokyo 2010

2010-04-08T01:18:00.003+02:00

2nd-4th April Art Fair Tokyo 2010 held open showing "more than 100 top international and domestic art galleries" and having "over 40,000 visitors each year."

[ART FAIR TOKYO2009 (c)ART FAIR TOKYO Photo by Munetoshi Iwashita]

According to the website it's the most important art fair Japan: "By covering a wide variety of genres, from contemporary art, modern art, nihonga and ukiyoe to antiques, ART FAIR TOKYO has forged a unique style specifically suited to the Japanese art market. For this reason, ART FAIR TOKYO has gained a loyal following among serious collectors of high-quality art and has also succeeded in steadily growing its patronage. With the motto that "art is something to buy, not just something to look at," the fair is gradually succeeding in fostering the development of new generations of collectors."

To see pictures from this years fair visit art-it or tokyoartbeat

First Biennale for international light art

2010-04-06T16:11:00.004+02:00

28th of March the first Biennale for international Light Art - Open Light in Private Spaces - opned in Ruhr, Germany.

[Artist: Joseph Kosuth, Work: Sechs Teile, Lokalisiert, 2004, Foto: Sabine Schirdewahn, Courtesy: Galerie Dorothea van der Koelen, Mainz/Venedig]

According to the webpage "60 inhabitants of the towns and communities of Bergkamen, Bönen, Fröndenberg/Ruhr, Hamm, Lünen and Unna open their private rooms to
the works of internationally renowned artists"

[Host: Michele Giering, Unna, Artist: Sylvie Fleury (CH), Work:
"Medium Chromo Quartz 1", 2001, On loan from: Sylvie Fleury & Sprüth Magers Berlin London & Dichl + One Gallery, Moskau, Foto: Sabine Schirdewahn, Berlin]

Among the 60 artists are famous names in art like James Turrell, Dan Flavin, Olafur Eliasson, Sylvie Fleury, Christian Boltanski, Jenny Holzer and Bruce Nauman. Among the Scandinavians that goes into the light ring with the international light champions, are the only Norwegian artist Jan Christiansen (whom I did a q&a with back in da day).

Norwegian Art Critics Awardt to Elmgreen & Dragset

2010-03-31T00:34:00.002+02:00

23rd of March it was announced at the Norwegian Critics Associtions webpage that tha Art Critics Award 2009 is to go to Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset for their outstanding exhibition The Collectors @ the Venice Biennale.

The prize is to be handed out at a ceremony @ OCA 7th of April alongside a critical debate on the exhibition. Panelists are Michael Elmgreen, Ingar Dragset, Marta Kuzma (Director OCA, and co-commissioner of the Nordic Pavilion) Will Bradley (critic and curator), Johanne Nordby Wernø (critic), Moderator: Per Platou.

Statement of the Jury:

“Elmgreen and Dragset’s Nordic and Danish Pavilions project at the Venice Biennale 2009, The Collectors, was an esthetically strong and conceptually convincing imitation of two collector’s homes. Laid out as a narrative performance, the artists pointed towards a thematic of the collector’s private life. As a curatorial model and concept, this broke with the national categorization of the pavilions in The Giardini, so that the Nordic and Danish pavilion were integrated in a combined model, presenting itself as something new to the Venice Biennale.

In its thematic the exhibition expanded on the role of the collector in today’s art world. The collector’s identity and practice was visualized critically, with humor. In a thorough composition, attention was given the values and lifestyle of the western middleclass, the nuclear family and the gay man, which, with a queer twist, ends in tragedy – family breakup, emotional Diaspora and suicide. In view of the economical crisis in the west and as a commentary on the last ten years inflated art market, The Collectors presented itself as a poignant and ironic exhibit. The jury considers this to be the outstanding artistic highlight of 2009.”

Signed
The Board Comittee

Janicke Iversen (chair), André Gali, Dag Solhjell, Mona Gjessing, Erling Moestue Bugge

View more pictures from The Collectors
Here & Here

New design for the Kunstforum website

2010-03-28T22:12:00.003+02:00

Last week Kunstforum where I am one of the editors launched a redesigned webpage. Click here to take a look.

Culture Capital arts manifesto

2010-03-28T22:04:00.003+02:00

Thursday 25th of March The Guadian's chief arts writer Charlotte Higgins tells about the lauch of an new arts manifesto called Culture Capital.

"Britain should invest in culture to help economic recovery, says an alliance of arts leaders including the National Theatre artistic director, Sir Nicholas Hytner, and Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum."

Click on the quote to read the whole story.

Art Fairs in Stockholm

2010-03-01T15:13:00.002+01:00

The weekend 18-21st of February, KUNSTforums finest went 2 Stockholm 2 participate in MARKET. At the same time there were three fairs in Stockholm; MARKET, Supermarket and Art Anglais. Click image below 2 c pix from the weekend.

Holy Toy @ Haugar Vestfold Museum of Art

2010-02-17T14:48:00.004+01:00

Pix from Holy Toy, group exhibition in Haugar Vestfold Kunstmuseum with works of kjARTan Slettemark, Hew Locke, Fredrik Raddum and Maria Rubinke. Click image below to see more.

More January Exhibitits

2010-02-10T15:46:00.002+01:00

Pix from exhibitions that opened in Oslo in January. Natural it's not @ Galleri Godteri, Kim Andre Hagen @ Dortmund Bodega, Portrett - menneskebilde som sjanger @ LNM, Marianne Heier and Andrea Lange @ Stenersen Museum.

January exhibitions

2010-02-10T15:10:00.003+01:00

Pix from exhibitions that opened in January in Oslo and nearby. Javier Barrios @ Bærum Kulturhus, Line Helen Danielsen and Espen Henningsen @ Boa, Bjørn Hegardt @ Tegnerforbundet, Henrik Pask & Josefine Lyche @ Tjuvholmen, Marius Ektvedt @ Melk, Marius Engh, Matias Faldbakken & Gardar Eide Einarsson @ Standard (oslo), Ivan Galuzin @ Freddy Knox Prosject space.

Art in Bergen

2010-02-09T14:54:00.002+01:00

Pix from exhibitions in Bergen here. Click image below to see more.

Crime

2010-02-08T09:47:00.002+01:00

KUNSTforumTV and ArtSceneTrondheim presents Narve Hovdenakk: Re-kriminalisert @ Gråmølna Trondheim Kunstmuseum. (Intervju is in Norwegian)

Bjarne Melgaard @ Astrup Fearnley Museum

2010-01-28T18:13:00.003+01:00

Bjarne Melgaard: Jealous @ Astrup Fearnley Museum. Click image below 2 view pix.

Ivan Galuzin @ Freddy Knox Projectspace

2010-01-19T18:01:00.006+01:00

Pix from Ivan Galuzin: Concrete particular insecurity breeds sympathy which can grow into content security breeds adornment, @ Freddy Knox Projectspace, 9. - 24. januar.

(click pix 2 see more image @ kunstforum.as)

New Exhibitionx in Oslo

2010-01-19T17:51:00.004+01:00

Javier Barrios: Pink is the New Space, på Bærum Kulturhus i Sandvika, 06.01-31.01.
Line Helen Danielsen: Homeward bound, Galleri BOA, 07.01–24.01.
Bjørn Hegardt: Hinterland, på Tegneforbundet, 07.01-31.01.
Josefine Lyche/ Henrik Pask: In trance we trust, i Tjuvholmen allé 10 i Oslo, 07.01-10.01.

(click on image 2 view pix)

video on Bruce Nauman

2010-01-11T02:08:00.002+01:00

See this enjoyable video about Bruce Nauman:

From the Venice Biennale 2009

2009-12-26T20:59:00.001+01:00

See Jan Christensen & Kristian Skylstad in this video from William Forsythe's work in the Venice Biennale.

Rod Bianco opens in Oslo

2009-12-21T15:10:00.004+01:00

Saturday 12. of December the gallery Rod Bianco opened in Oslo. The gallery is a collaboration between artist Bjarne Melgaard and among others Svein Roar Grande, who runs the galleries 7011 Trondheim and 7011 Vestfossen. The openeing exhibition is named Damascus and shows works of Bjarne Melgaard, Thaddeus Strode, Axel Hütte, Andreas Widerøe Hagen and Big Fat Black Cock Inc.

See pix @ Kunstforum.as.

New Pix @ Kunstforum

2009-12-16T19:06:00.002+01:00

The last couples of weeks art students across the land has been showing their work, be it in progress or not, and invited common people like me and you into their studios. Some of those pix can be seen @ Kunstforum right now: from Oslo and from Trondheim Enjoy!

Lars Laumann received Statoil Art Award

2009-12-10T11:45:00.002+01:00

Yesterday video artist Lars Laumann received Statoil Art Award. The award is on 500 000 Norwegian Kroner and is the largest art award in Norway. Watch video from the award ceremony here (in Norwegian only)

A record number of visitors to the Art Biennale

2009-11-24T22:55:00.003+01:00

Venice, November, 24th 2009 – With a record-breaking number of visitors the 53rd International Art Exhibition Fare Mondi // Making Worlds directed by Daniel Birnbaum and organized by the Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta, closed its doors on November 22nd. The Exhibition was inaugurated on June 6th by Italy’s President, Giorgio Napolitano.

There was a total of 375,702 visitors to the Exhibition (compared to 319,332 in 2007 an increase of 18%), which was held in the exhibition sites of the Giardini and the Arsenale. During the 24 weeks of its running time, the 53rd Exhibition was constantly at the top of the rankings of the most-visited exhibitions in Italy, with a daily average of 2,223 visitors and record numbers during the weekends of 9,761 people. 132,185 students visited the 53rd Exhibition, either individually or in groups.

The 2009 Biennale has attracted a record number of 77 national participations and 44 collateral events, held throughout Venice.

Among the successful novelties was the renewed Italian Pavilion which doubled the exhibition space for the Italian national participation, marking a turn in the relevance of the participation of the Italian artists. Moreover, the Venice Pavilion, promoted by Regione del Veneto, was this year dedicated to Venetian glass art, thus reintroducing the original tradition of dedicating this space also to the applied arts.

Pics from the Biennale di Venezia here on GaliBlog:

Venezia 1

Venezia 2

Venezia 3

Venezia 4

Venezia 5

“Stil Rustique” in Kristiansand

2009-11-24T01:42:00.006+01:00

About lizards, snakes and pig-flu pandemonium.

Text by Steffen Krüger (simultanously published in Norwegian @ Kunstforum.as)

It is an entertaining coincidence that in our flu-fearing times a whole different incidence of border violation has finally put an image to our growing unease. When on Monday, October 26, customs officers at Kristiansand stopped a twentytwo-year-old trying to smuggle fourteen small king-python snakes in socks wrapped around his chest, ten leopard-geckos in tobacco boxes taped to his legs and a tarantula in his suitcase, this did not only provide the papers with a bizarre story in the assorted news sections, it also created photo opportunities that, unknown to the photographers themselves, tapped right into an age-old tradition of imagining the uncanny (pic here).

This tradition has always made abundant use of vermin – bugs, snakes, lizards, toads etc. – repugnant, grotesque, and somewhat worrisome little creatures, which frequently could be found at the fringes of otherwise serious works.

The tradition reached its highpoint in the second part of the 16th century, when the depiction of low-life animals even formed something akin to an artistic style. The Viennese art historian Ernst Kris aptly baptised it “Stil Rustique” – an earthy, realistic, and highly charged style that derived its stunning life-like effects from using casts over nature.

Tipping and wriggling, biting and nibbling, tickling and prickling – the rustic fashion was so far removed from the more conventional aesthetics of – earlier times that it was understood as representing an ‘anti-nature’: the abject downside of Renaissance decorum and the exact opposite of the kind of naturalistic depiction which had been considered as of divine origin and equilibrium. Contrasting the fertile and life-giving, they were meant to forebode ill-health and understood as signs of decay and decline.

In the works of Wenzel Jamnitzer and Bernard Palissy, the two main proponents of the “Stil Rustique”, lizards and the likes were meant to ridicule and degrade the antique bowls and goblets onto which they were strewn. Here, they appear as all-too-realistic parasites composing themselves to make their home on the snobbish neo-classical forms.

Three and a half centuries on, an echo of the irritation that these animals came to symbolize could still be perceived in Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams. Here lizards, who have the ability to re-grow their tails, stand for castration fears as well as for the defense against them – in other words: for a feeling of insecurity about one’s own powers and legitimacy. Vermin in general is considered by Freud as representing unwanted siblings or an unwanted pregnancy – both archetypical situations of intolerable intrusion.

Now, from Freud’s interpretation there seems to be a straight line to the case of border violation in Kristiansand, for what we find in the images of smuggled animals is exactly that symbolic tradition that the psychoanalyst pointed to. Accidentally, the “Stil Rustique” has returned and, with it, the long-standing tradition of symbolizing uncontrollable processes of transgression, of mingling, interchanging, incubating, multiplying, overgrowing, of unstoppable ruination and slow decline. In this respect, the entertainingly repellent pictures from Kristiansand, which, by the way, made news all over the world, can well be seen as reflections of our very own ‘pandemic pandemonium’. And while, in this case, our borders have been protected, we can only marvel at the exorbitant number of undetected cases slipping through.

List of Images:
Bürgli, Jost; Eisenhoit, Antonius: ”Globe Céleste Mécanique” (detail), ca. 1582

Carpaccio, Vittore: StGeorge and the Dragon, 1502-7 (detail/ whole)

Jamnitzer, Wenzel, bowl, 1550-1560

Images taken from:
Falguières, Patricia (ed.) : Ernst Kris. Le Style Rustique, Paris 2005

Video of Sverre Malling working on his drawings

2009-11-23T10:09:00.001+01:00

Video of Sverre Malling working on his drawings during his residency in Lillehammer.

Frieze Art Fair @ Regent's Park

2009-11-12T21:38:00.002+01:00

Pix from Frieze Art Fair that took place 15-18 october @ Regent's Park in London.

Hotch Potch London @ MK II in Hackney

2009-10-29T01:48:00.003+01:00

Pix from the exhibition Hotch Potch London @ MK II in Hackney from 13th - 17th october.

Autumn art

2009-10-13T14:31:00.003+02:00

Pix from Pustemaskinen - Oda Broch & Tara Marie Rolfsenv @ Podium, Pool (avec) @ Skjokoladefabrikken, Håvard Stamnes @ One night only, Inger Sitter @ Brandstrup and Løvaas & Wagle @ Erik Steen Gallery.

[from Pustemaskinen @ Podium, wouldn't it be nice to have a machine to breath for ya?]

[also from Pustemaskinen...]

[couldn't help taking a pic of this guy...]

[leander wearing a mouse @ his chest... a proud norwegian animal]

[andreas wearing a mercedes hood ornament @ his chest... a proud norwegian tradition]

[I met leander & andreas outside skjokoladefabrikken on my way to Pool (avec)]

[the magnificent Lars & Hans with a pretty girl by their side, so typical of them...]

[the band getting it on]

[the crowd contemplating the concert]

[bitte showing my camera that her measels are gone]

[amir posing as a french poet]

[kristian & andreas enjoying the soothing muzac]

[good thing the freezer that was connected to this fence didn't work, otherwize Åse might have been a bit cols...]

[mark ravenhill, the writer of fucking and shopping and pool (no water) talking about the inspiration for pool @ black box]

[håvard stamnes @ one night only - anyone seeing any possible references?]

[also håvard stamnes @ one night only - where have all the (tv) snow (i.e. white noice) gone?]

[inger sitter @ brandstrup - still going strong & btw abstract painting seems to be back...]

[to quote Lou reed when he was asked about how he managed to survive without job in his velvet days: "we did go to a lot of parties"]

[løvaas & wagle @ erik steen gallery]

[the two lovely artists posing]

autumn openings

2009-10-12T19:21:00.003+02:00

Pix from anja ring, frode halvorsen and Jorid Lekve Eide @ 21:24 & 21:25, MARIJKE VAN WARMERDAM @ riis gallery, Nina Torp @ LNM, Hans Thorsen @ 0047, kira wager @ K gallery and Dan Rees & Fredrick Værslev @ standard (oslo).

[frode halvorsen & jorid lekve eide @ 21:25]

[anja ring @ 21:24 - a blue monochrome floor...]

[from Marijke van Warmerdam @ riis gallery - what a lovely necklace, but what is it for?]

[2 beautiful young girls]

[the jacket for every pioner...]

[jarle & janicke]

[a fancy mirrorball...]

[the gallerist...]

[fredrick @ the opening of Nina Torp's exhibition @ LNM]

[from the exhibition of Nina Torp - Memoirs of a tourist @ galleri lnm]

[from eden hage - inspired by arne lindaas by hans thorsen @ 0047]

[enthusiastic participation]

[the artist...]

[more shoes]

[from Kira Wager @ K gallery]

[henrik & petter]

[from dan rees & fredrick værslev @ standard (oslo)]

[from exhibition DAN REES AND FREDRIK VÆRSLEV "SHELF PAINTINGS (POTTERY IN OCTOBER) (DECORATIONS BY DAN REES)" @ standard (oslo)]

[the artist & friends...]

More fragments from the autumn art scene

2009-10-12T18:21:00.003+02:00

Pix from the releaseparty of KUNSTforum, the opening of MELK gallery in grunerløkka, the opening of Oslo Open 2009, the opening of Elna Hagemann, Kaja Leijon og Jorunn Myklebust Syversens exhibition @ uks and hanne ørstavik @ blå.

[Kunstforum releaseparty @ Vigeland-museet - representatives of LNM gallery loves the first issue of Kunstforum]

[controversial writer Preben Z. Møller]

[debate on the status of the art work - from left: tore næss, ståle stenslie, paul grøtvedt, tonje gjevgjon and jarle strømodden]

[drawing of the art paparazzi by tegnestift]

[everybody loves Kunstforum :-)]

[from the opening of MELK - bjarne bare and asle olsen]

[pink is the new black]

[lots of people @ the opening of MELK in grunerløkka]

[openingspeaches @ Oslo Open @ Månefisken]

[chairman of the broad - Janicke Iversen - holds an opening speech]

[javier was the lucky winner of the onion art award @ oslo open]

[who's the guy with the sun glasses?]

[the hungry hearts preformed @ the opening party...]

[from the opening of Elna Hagemann, Kaja Leijon og Jorunn Myklebust Syversen's exhibition @ UKS]

[the lovely man per platou]

[a picture that needs no comment]

[opera song @ uks]

[the beautiful Hanne ørstavik @ litteratur på BLÅ]

My visit to Bergen

2009-10-06T19:47:00.005+02:00

Three weeks ago I was in Bergen in connection with the Bergen Biennale Conference. Here are som pics from the event and some exhibition I saw.

[to biennale or not to biennale - that's the question the new director of Bergen Kunstmuseum, Erlend Høyersten, and the local cultural politician, Henning Warloe, is pondering]

[just loved this button - "lives and works in berlin"]

[erlend seems to be rather sceptical about vilde at landmark after the opening party in bergen kunsthall]

[Anette Kierulf & Caroline Kierul @ galleri gathe]

[curated by erlend hammer @ hordaland kunstsenter - an empty space that made a bit of controversy in bergen @ the time I was there...]

[josefine lyche & henrik pask @ volt - a nomadic gallery]

[also josefine and henriks exhibition @ volt]

[josefine's shoes I believe]

[marianne's shoes I believe]

[nice name for this piece of soft furniture]

[three fourths of the magnificent mangolassimarghaug that I ran into in Japan - and a pretty girl...]

[a nice necklase of a swan]

[debate between Paul O´Neill, Ute Meta Bauer (moderator), Maria Hlavajova and John Clark]

[from the accurately entitled exhibition vinyl @ lydgalleriet (the sound gallery) - that title sounds like a warhol movie]

[covers...]

[the floor is covered with what seems to be records...]

[Zhang Liyu @ stiftelsen 3,14 - mostly a matter of money]

[deabte by jonas ekeberg, per gunnar eeg-tverbakk, Gerardo Mosquera, Mahita El Bacha Urieta, Yacouba Konaté and Marieke van Hal (moderator)]

[golden serenades concert @ bergen kunsthall]

[debate between Monika Szewczyk (moderator), ina blom, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Ranjit Hoskote, Rafal Niemojewski, erlend høyersten and bruce w. ferguson]

[lots of familiar faces - both international superstars and local art students]

[the three graces - solveig øvstebø, Elena Filipovic and Marieke Van Hal - wrapping up the conference]

the autumn exhibition (høstutstellinga)

2009-10-06T19:13:00.003+02:00

Just some pix from the autumn exhibition@ kunstnernes hus...

[a werewolf guarded the gate to the autumn exhibition so just the invites could get in]

[lyckily Frido and his friend got invitations]

[probably some anarchistic artis that didn't get to show this year...]

[a poor artist that sees the oppertunity to get some money from the rich visitors to this cultivated venue]

[one of the pieces I liked a little - Lars Skjelbreia made it...]

[hommage to recently deceased artist Kjartan Slettemark - a great controversial piece from the 60s]

[do you like dawgs? - well I liked this piece of Marius Notvik]

[Christine and Nicolai looking fab]

[Håvard and his siblings]

[who is this pretty lady? glad I got a picture of her...and to think that pinkis my fav color in the world]

[this looks like my glasses - maybe I got a copycat on my back...]

[Tara and Oda showing their best profile]

[somebody brought a partybus...]

[soothing music]

More fragments from the autumn art scene

2009-10-06T18:08:00.004+02:00

Pouring it out now for all you art lovers out there to see. Here's some pix from the printers when we went to see the first prints of Kunstforum. Tore brought champagne. Then some pix from an opening @ Kunstnerforbundet, Crispins live photo @ ullevål sykehus (the hospital), the opening party of ultima @ stratos and the opening of the momentum biennale in moss.

[The owner of the print shop, me and tore celebrating the first pages from the machine]

[the printer guy takes a good look at the details and everything]

[from an opening @ kunstnerforbundet - the works in the background are made by torbjørn sørensen]

[from an opening @ kunstnerforbundet - this is gisle harr's scultures]

[from an opening @ kunstnerforbundet - this is mechanical objects by trond mikkelsen]

[from an opening @ kunstnerforbundet - also mikkelsen, oooh it's interactive...]

[from crispin gurholts live photo @ ullevål sykehus - if you can't bring desease and death to the art world bring the art world to the hospital...]

[from crispin gurholts live photo @ ullevål sykehus - its real people people, not just an image... a piece somewhere between theate and photography...]

[from the opening of ultima @ stratos - don't remember the name of this band but it was brilliant]

[from the opening of ultima @ stratos - a terribly long opera that tried to go through all of western opera history in a couple of hours...]

[from the opening of ultima @ stratos - the beautiful helene knoop and the handsome jono el grande]

[from the opening of Momentum the fifth nordic biennale favored nations in moss]

[tor magnus lundeby received an art award]

[smokers are jokers]

[cool kid with great glasses - should have stolen them while I had the chance]

[josefine lyche's glamorous geometrical colored mirrors]

[the magnificent three - tove, siri and sylvia]

[ask not for whom the bell tolls - you gotto toll it yourself...]

[ide ekblad is revisiting the cobra art movement style of the 50s....]

[jan freuchen's hilarious movie featuring himself as an artist]

[are mokkelbost's great collages]

[i was never sure if this was a piece or not - i still think it was...]

[self portrait in sunglasses]

[performance or happening @ the opening with concrete and barrels]

[islandic artist goodiepal posing for the camera with co-workers - before his lecture in sound began...]

[dancing the night away - just love that golden skirt]

[somebody's t-shirt]

Fragments from the autumn art scene

2009-10-06T16:44:00.004+02:00

Lately Kunstforum has taken up much of my time. But I try to get the time to blog a little. I go to lots of openings and take pictures, but I just don't manage to get the time to put them out there right away. So here is some pictures from some of the events I've been to the last couple of months...

[from bohemian consumer @ galleri godteri]

[from bohemian consumer @ galleri godteri - just love the blue man guy in the corner)

[from bohemian consumer @ galleri godteri - sebastian with some seriously cool dude]

[from bohemian consumer @ galleri godteri - Anja just arrived from Bergen the day before, now I meet here around @ openings all the time...]

[from opphengt @ galleri LNM - Christian got some very cute flowers from Snorre]

[from opphengt @ galleri LNM - a group show with graduated masterstudent from the art academy, and one bachelorette]

[from opphengt @ galleri LNM - pretty crowded day, the season just starting I guess...]

[from opphengt @ galleri LNM - two beautiful young museumworkers from the astrup fearnley museum nearby]

[from Hans Hamid Rasmussens solo show @ Soft gallery]

[from Hans Hamid Rasmussens solo show @ Soft gallery - the mirror takes the inside and put it out side and the outside and put it inside...]

[from what I think was a fashionshow @ Kunsthallen, Tullinløkka (the Nasjonal museum) - at least this is Synnøve trying on some candy glasses - yam]

[from the same fashionshow/ event or whatever it was @ Kunsthallen, tullinløkka - some pretty young things wearing 3dglasses...]

[from dark matters @ balke senteret - just a lovely bowl of fruit and flowers made by Sinikka and Heidi Marie]

[from dark matters @ balke senteret - a piece of sculpture by lello/ arnell (don't know if they have first names...) in the danseroom that was decorated by Peder Balke back in da day]

[from toten somewhere on our way back from the dark matters exhibition - sverre and erling poses by their cars as is the style of the place...]

[from tekstallianse @ litteraturhuset - a bokfair for unestablished publishers in the wide understanding of that word - I was there with Kunstforum...]

[from tekstallianse 2009 @ litteraturhuset - just love the duck man]

[from tekstallianse @ litteraturhuset - one night only was represented by fedlabi & eirik in matching shirts - way 2 go]

[from smeden og bakeren @ kunstnernes hus - the art group aipotu made some scultures in concrete that are now below the grass...]

[from smeden og bakeren @ kunstnernes hus - anders and andreas is dressed for sucksess in well worn suits from... could it be armani?]

[from a debate on the future of the national museum @ litteraturhuset - crowded as might be expected]

[from a debate on the future of the national museum @ litteraturhuset - the participants]

[from the releas of the magasine spesial nord @ torpedo bookstore - the coolest cats in town]

[from the release of spesial nord @ torpedo - Iseling bragging about the new magasine]

[from the release of spesial nord @ torpedo - Jone and Christina is so anxious to be portrayed that they look away]

[just some shoes, don't really remember from where, but probably just outside an important gallery where some important show was taking place]

[from new works @ erik steen gallery - this I believe is stian ådlandsviks work - seems to be a trashed handcart from an aeroport]

[from new works @ erik steen gallery - also ådlandsvik, something to do with aeroports too i suppose...]

[in the backyard @ the art school in oslo hm well, not sure what it's called now, it used to be the arts and crafts school, but all the name changing going on the last couples of years hasn't really made it in to my memory...]

[from det blinde teater @ the national theater - an interactive theater piece where the participants are wearing a suit that stimulates your nerve made by ståle stenslie and crew is about to take place, this is the entrance...]

Q&A with Bjørn-Kowalski Hansen

2009-08-24T07:50:00.003+02:00

Artist: Bjørn-Kowalski Hansen

Webpage: www.kowalskiness.com / www.kowalskiness.blogspot.com

Selected exhibitions:
* 40/40, Stenersen Museum, Oslo, 2008
* Wrap Your Troubles In a Dream, Lautom Contemporary, Oslo, 2008
* City Of Brotherly Love, Seoul Design Olympiad, Seoul, South Korea, 2008

[Bjørn-Kowalski Hansen: Klaxxon]

- What are you currently working on?
- I am currently showing a solo exhibition at the new Telemark Kunstnersenter in Skien, curated by Jan Christensen, that will be up until the 11th of September, and at HKS in Bergen in August, curated by Erlend Hammer.

This autumn I will be working on a project on Norwegian design history, a publication for the newly started Fogo Arts Corporation in Newfoundland, Canada, some new top secret business ideas and preparing new works for an upcoming group show at Kunstbanken Hedmark Kunstsenter in March 2010.

[Bjørn-Kowalski Hansen: It Is What It Is Until You Get It Right (When Somebody Decides to Pay for the Spotlight)]

- Can you describe your work process from idea to work?
- A wooden boat with wine cork sized holes all over. I spend months thinking about it, and if it in the end floats, thats a good starting point.

When it comes to production I don`t have a specific medium as the medium often is an important piece of the work itself, but my visual language often draw from advertising, typography, vintage memoribilia, product design, film, music.

I keep reminding myself of something the advertisement legend David Ogilvy once said: "Good ideas often start out as a joke. So try to keep your thinking as funny as possible."

[Bjørn-Kowalski Hansen: Aint No Love in the Heart of the City]

- What are your main influences when creating a work of art?
- Lately I find myself returning to ideas that deal with the examination of contemporary consumer habits, business culture marketing strategies, but I am an artist who works in multiple modes - illustrator, designer, art director, dj, art dealer, entrepreneur, collector of all sorts - these are all fields of interest that color and make up my artistic practice.

[Bjørn-Kowalski Hansen: Artist Self-portraits, Joyo Art Salon Co. Fujian China]

- Can you name an artist or other, that has inspired you?
- Well.. the severely outdated 128 kilobyte flashdisk that I refer to as my memory, is not really giving me an advantage when it comes to remembering names, but if I was to mention someone from the top of my head, I would say Christian Marclay, Mike Kelley, David Ogilvy, Jacque Fresco, Yes Men, Jonathan Monk, Simon Starling, David Hammons, Steven Levitt, Muhammad Yunus, SK Brann, Marvin Gaye. Passenger jets and the vinyl record.

- Can you name a writer or book, fiction or theory that has inspired your works?
- Recent reading are mostly non-fiction like Freakonomics av Steven D. Levitt, The Wisdom of Crowds av James Surowiecki, Henry Petroski, but the internet, tv-series, movies, International Herald Tribune, The Economist are things I relate to daily.

[Bjørn-Kowalski Hansen: Vexol SA (I`m Just Looking For Love and Affection, Not The House of Correction)]

- Why is art important?
- Art to me is my ninth grade girlfriend. She cheated on me repeatedly, and I often try to get myself to break up with her. But love is a strange thing, almost evil. Bottom line is that even though I talk badly of her daily, in a hopeless attempt to find some sympathy for her many wrongdoings, I`ll still be there in the morning trying to change her, rather than leaving her.

The Hungry Hearts - sequense one

2009-08-19T23:44:00.003+02:00

The Hungry Hearts - Sequence One from Joern Anthonisen on Vimeo.

[First sequence from the performance band The Hungry Hearts]

The Hungry Hearts consists of six members and is an art project in the extended field including music, performance, video, text and photography. The members has alter egos where Kristi Brud, Rosita Lonelyheart, Anatolah-Twins, Betty Ballbreaker and The Pantyhose Lady is the most aktive.

Broken Tales @ Hancke / Skauen

2009-08-17T12:15:00.003+02:00

Sunday 28th of June the book "Broken Tales" by Therese Angel Mæhle was released @ Hancke / Skauen. Drawings from the book was exhibited in the living room during the release.

Bjørn Opsahl: Ask The Dust @ Stenersenmuseet

2009-08-17T11:49:00.004+02:00

Friday the 26th of June the exhibition "Ask the dust" with photography of Bjørn Opsahl opened @ Stenersenmuseet.

OPERATION N1 / Arne Borgan @ Sound of mu

2009-08-16T18:06:00.002+02:00

From 18.June - 5.July the exhibition OPERATION N1 by Arne Borgan was on display @ Sound of mu.

About time @ Fotogalleriet

2009-08-16T17:49:00.002+02:00

From 19.June to 05.July graduated master students from Bergen, Kunsthøyskolen i Bergen (Khib) exhibited works @ Fotogalleriet.

State of Change @ UKS

2009-08-16T17:27:00.003+02:00

State of Change was an exhibition by Master of Fine Art from Kunstakademiet i Trondheim (KIT) and took place @ UKS from 13. to 28. June.

galiblog receives award for best (or only) art paparazzi in Norway

2009-08-16T17:05:00.002+02:00

Earlier this summer I received an award from Sverre Gullesen as I visited UKS. The award was given to me for being the best (or was it the only) art Paparazzi in Norway.

Since I couldn't be there for the award ceremony that took place during UKS yearly summerparty, I didn't get to hold a thank you speech. Therefore I have decided to write it here on my blog:.

"I am so grateful to receive this award. I has been a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. But I wouldn't have made it so far if it had not been for all the support and help I have gotten through this whole process. Therefor I want to thank mom and dad for making me. God for watching over me. All my friends, enemies and frennemies. And all the artists, curators, directors, models, collectors, musicians and so forth that I have photographed through all theese years. Without you I wouldn't have a blog at all. Thank you all and see you again nex season!"

Basel Art Fairs diary 4

2009-08-16T12:45:00.003+02:00

Pics from Volta.

Basel Art Fairs diary 3

2009-08-16T12:10:00.003+02:00

Pics from Unlimited & the main fare.

New video from Frode & Marcus

2009-08-14T19:52:00.001+02:00

Peace out miss world from Frode & Marcus on Vimeo.

Telemark Kunstnersenter opens in new location

2009-08-14T19:31:00.002+02:00

Tomorrow Telemark Kunstnersenter opens in new locations. The building that used to be a bank was built in 1849 and has now been renovated and given to Telemark Kunstsnersenter to be used as a space for contemporary art. The space contains two floors consisting of 300 square meters each, in addition there is a loft and a basement.

The first shows contain works by Bjørn Kowalski Hansen, Brita Been and Bengt Gabrielsen. The curator is Jan Christensen.

Basel Art Fairs diary 2

2009-08-14T19:08:00.002+02:00

Pics from Scope and Liste.

Basel Art Fairs diary 1

2009-08-14T18:47:00.003+02:00

Pics from the main fair. Suitable to start with a big black wooden cross that was situated outside the fair, with the connotations to religion that both art and money has...