27 October 2013

Little House in the Periphery

Little House in the Periphery
Kristiina Hansen & Johannes Säre, Johnson ja Johnson, Flo Kasearu, Kristina Norman
Rogaland Kunstsenter, Stavanger
Part of the project Estonian Dream - A festival of Estonian art in Rogaland
26.10.-1.12.13
Photos, video, installations

Estonia may seem insignificant and remote from most parts of the world. But in Estonia it is the most important part of the world, with its own history, conflicts and joys. Sometimes you need to step out of it to get an overview. Sometimes you need to travel away from your country to see it differently. Some have moved away from Estonia voluntarily, some were forced to leave, some are trying to get in, and some are comfortable remaining at distance.

Johannes SäreLittle House in the Periphery
Kristiina Hansen & Johannes Säre: Little House in the Periphery

A tiny, golden house appearing larger than it is due to mirror effects.

Kristina Norman: Common Ground
Kristina Norman: Common Ground

Interviews with Estonians who fled to Sweden escaping the Soviet army, and people applying for asylum in Estonia, situated in refugee camps. What do they have in common?

Flo Kasearu: Estonian Dream
Flo Kasearu: Estonian Dream

Edited videos from the videoblog by a girl of Estonian descent living in Texas. She is living the American dream, but still caring almost naively about Estonia, turning to tears in sympathy when a group of Estonians are kidnapped in Lebanon. And then the next clip is about her funny animals. The statistics at the end show what gets the most attention - the funny animals.

Flo Kasearu: Re-enacting 
Revolution
Flo Kasearu: Re-enacting Revolution

Revolutions do not happen often, and few in our part of the world have experience one. Estonia had their Singing Revolution (google it or see a documentary about it), regaining their freedom through singing. The aim was to recreate this feeling twenty years later through a similar Night Song Festival. That must have been great fun and deeply touching, but without the fear of the Soviet Army.

Johnson&Johnson: Paldiski Project
Johnson ja Johnson: Paldiski Project

In a relational art project aiming to unite the Estonian and Russian halves of the population in Paldiski town, the artists started a movement aiming to place a sculpture by the famous Adamson, a native Paldiskian, in the center of town. This was fulfilled just few days ago, and the videos show the process of meetings, events, polls and concerts, all uniting the rather divided population into a common mission.

Jaan Toomik: Solo

Jaan Toomik: Solo
Skur 6, Stavanger
Part of the project Estonian Dream - A festival of Estonian art in Rogaland
26.10.-1.12.13
Video

A retrospective and a present view on a legendary artist's work. The focus is on short videos with prominent sounds. The exhibition took use of a venue never used for art before, the Skur 6, at the back side of the Galleri Sult.

Jaan Toomik: Dancing Home
Jaan Toomik: Dancing Home

The  breakthrough video of the artist dancing restlessly on the ferry towards Estonia 1995.

Jaan Toomik: Untitled Action
Jaan Toomik: Untitled Action

A video produced for this exhibition, where the artists struggles with something unknown behind a concrete feature. And in the background a person seems to steal his way into a shed.

Jaan Toomik: Seagulls
Jaan Toomik: Seagulls

The artist rolling into a pool, then screaming poetry through a hose.

Jaan Toomik: Untitled (The Leap) + Run
Jaan Toomik: Untitled (The Leap) + Run

The artist falling and disappearing, and the artist running into a mystic tunnel. 

Milk-Method Men

Milk-Method Men
Kaido Ole & Erki Kasemets
Galleri Sult, Stavanger
Part of the project Estonian Dream - A festival of Estonian art in Rogaland
26.10.-1.12.13
Paintings on canvas, paintings on milk cartons

Kaido Ole paints impossible objects, still-lifes that could never be in real-life, balancing impossibly on a one-wheeled leg. Though the realistic effects almost make us belive they are real.

Erki Kasemets has for almost thirty years each day painted a milk carton, since sale of milk in cartons started. Only parts of his more than 8000-selection of cartons are on display here, still impressive and forcing you to contemplate each different "diary". Each carton is marked with the date, the address and a random number. The sculptures are emerging from the wall and floating out on the floor like a giant leakage.

Kaido Ole: Still-Life With Self-Planted Flowers + Christian Still-Life + Erki Kasemets: LIFE-FILE
Kaido Ole: Still-Life With Self-Planted Flowers + Christian Still-Life + Erki Kasemets: LIFE-FILE

Erki Kasemets: LIFE-FILE
Erki Kasemets: LIFE-FILE

Kaido Ole: Simple and Nice Still Life sith Self-Created Object
Kaido Ole: Simple and Nice Still Life with Self-Created Object

Kaido Ole: Like-a-Tree Still Life
Kaido Ole: Like-a-Tree Still Life

I Don't Eat Flowers!

I Don't Eat Flowers!
Liina Siib, Marge Monko, Anna-Stina Treumund, Kai Kaljo
Hå gamle prestegard
Part of the project Estonian Dream - A festival of Estonian art in Rogaland
26.10.-1.12.13
Photos, video, installations

The exhibition display Estonian female artists on the topic of female rights and equality. Here are the strong women of protest and fight, here are ths silent women who takes little space, the invisible prostitutes, the hard working women, the struggling but satisfied artist, and female parodies on old sexist views still existing.

Liina Siib: A Room of One's Own
Liina Siib: A Room of One's Own

An installations showing portraits of silent women able to find their own little space of dreams, television soaps and home rituals.

Liina Siib: A Woman Takes Little Space
Liina Siib: A Woman Takes Little Space

Portraits of women doing their work, often work we take for granted, getting no attention and getting low salaries.

Liina Siib: Averse Body
Liina Siib: Averse Body

Interviews with prostitutes, and their drawings of flowers.

Kai Kaljo: Loser + Anna-Stina Treumund: Loser 2011. Peter
Kai Kaljo: Loser + Anna-Stina Treumund: Loser 2011. Peter

Connected videos, where the original show an artist presenting her life to the sound of laughter, and the hommage with a man presenting his life, also to the sound of laughter.

Anna-Stina Treumund: Loser 2011. Martin + Loser 2011. Lauri +Loser 2011. Veiko
Anna-Stina Treumund: Loser 2011. Martin + Loser 2011. Lauri +Loser 2011. Veiko

Portraits from the videos of the Loser series

Anna-Stina Treumund: Woman in the Corner of Mutsu's Drawing
Anna-Stina Treumund: Woman in the Corner of Mutsu's Drawing

Self-portrait by the artist placed in elements from drawings by the Estonian female artist Marju Mutsu (1941-1980), drawings that retrospectively may be seen as depicting lesbian love (The drawings were called One, Two and Together), something that was unheard of in her lifetime.

Marge Monko: I Don't Eat Flowers!

Marge Monko: I Don't Eat Flowers!

Based on propaganda posters urging women to work for their Soviet homeland, the message is turnede around stating that only flowers will not suffice anymore.

Marge Monko: Nora's Sisters
Marge Monko: Nora's Sisters

Photos of women of the Kreenholm factory in Narva juxtaposed with the theatre play called "Nora's Sisters" depicting how Nora of "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen, after leaving her husband starts fighting for female rights.

Marge Monko: 8 Hours
Marge Monko: 8 Hour

Historic photos from a fabrics factory combined with slogans from the fight for labour rights during strikes at the same factory. 

Part of the Screen City Moving Image festival 2013

Screen City
Moving Image festival 2013
25.-27.10.13
Stavanger
Public video and sound art

During this weekend strange things happened in the area. Sounds emerge as the train moves and videos appear on houses along Pedersgata. And the Cathedral was transformed, as mentioned in an earlier post. These are the effects of Screen City, a festival bringing videos and sound art into the public.

Mobile Intervention / Audio visual innstallation and soundwalk by Circumstance (UK)
Mobile Intervention / Audio visual installation and soundwalk by Circumstance (UK)

Sound art - wonderful music appearing as the train moves. The speakers were also carried through the city, making music in the streets.

Neighbourhood Projections / Screen Passage
Neighbourhood Projections / Screen Passage

Video projections on windows along Pedersgata.

Neighbourhood Projections / Screen Passage
Neighbourhood Projections / Screen Passage


25 October 2013

Architectural Mapping by Bordos.ArtWorks

Architectural Mapping by Bordos.ArtWorks

Stavanger Cathedral
ScreenCity  Moving Image Festival
26.10.13
Public video art

A miracle took place on the cathedral this evening. Crowds of people defied the heavy rain to see patterns emerge from the features on the facade of the building, then ribbons flashed across the surface, only to give way for flying people, finally disappering into a ball of light. All done to the tones of wonderful music. This is the start of the fresh ScreenCity Moving Image Festival. Tomorrow there will be more surprises in town. Most of the program can be combined with the Estonian Dream festival.

Architectural Mapping by Bordos.ArtWorks: Stavanger Cathedral
Architectural Mapping by Bordos.ArtWorks: Stavanger Cathedral

This must be the place (I love the passing of time (part II))

This must be the place (I love the passing of time (part II))
Kinokino, Sandnes
24.10.-24.11.13
photos, videos

The second part of the major exhibition at Kinokino, featuring black&white photos of the exotic and infamous area Tøyen of Oslo, and video footage of scenes from an abandoned greenhouse. Both approaches show the contrasts between the original intentions, and the present state and use of the spaces.


Line Bøhmer Løkken: Tøyen Sentrum
Line Bøhmer Løkken: Tøyen Sentrum

Line Bøhmer Løkken: Tøyen Sentrum
Line Bøhmer Løkken: Tøyen Sentrum

Line Bøhmer Løkken: Tøyen Sentrum
Line Bøhmer Løkken: Tøyen Sentrum

Eamon O'Kane: And Time Begins Again
Eamon O'Kane: And Time Begins Again


Eugenio Espinoza: Out of focus, alámbrico

Out of focus, alámbrico
Eugenio Espinoza
24.10.-14.11.13
Prosjektrom Normanns, Stavanger
Installations and spacial explorations in tape, paint and wood

Inagurating the fresh, new spaces of Prosjektrom Normanns, Espinoza has been exploring the walls, the rooms and the surfaces by using tape and paint. He has been using the new walls as gallery walls, but also marked new possibilities and created his own spaces. He has created his artwork during the creation of the rooms, and has probably been much affected and inspired by the building workers. I wonder how much the builders were inspired by him, and if they made some changes according to that.

Eugenio Espinoza: "Out of focus, alámbrico - 24.10.-14.11.13 - Prosjektrom Normanns, Stavanger

Eugenio Espinoza: "Out of focus, alámbrico - 24.10.-14.11.13 - Prosjektrom Normanns, Stavanger

Eugenio Espinoza: "Out of focus, alámbrico - 24.10.-14.11.13 - Prosjektrom Normanns, Stavanger

Eugenio Espinoza: "Out of focus, alámbrico - 24.10.-14.11.13 - Prosjektrom Normanns, Stavanger

Line Anda Dalmar: System

System
Line Anda Dalmar
19.10.-10.11.13
Galleri Sult, Stavanger
Installations, paintings

Puzzles of leftovers from a sawmill and printing processes, creating playful puzzles. Landscapes seen from a plane recreated in paintings. Line Anda Dalmar really knows how to enjoy and explore the material.


Line Anda Dalmar: System

Line Anda Dalmar: System

Line Anda Dalmar: System

23 October 2013

Estonian Dream

Estonian Dream
A horde of Estonian contemporary artists in parallell  exhibitions at 
Rogaland Kunstsenter, Stavanger / Galleri Sult, Stavanger / Tou Scene, Stavanger / Kinokino, Sandnes / Hå gamle prestegard, Hå
26.10.-1.12.13

Monday 21.10. we got a preview on the grand project that opens on Saturday 26.10. In what is probably the largest presentation of Estonian contemporary art in Norway ever, five art institutions in Stavanger, Sandnes and Hå cooperate on presenting Estonian art in exhibitions curated by Anders Härm. 

IMG_9581
Anders Härm
Curator's presentation of the project

Johannes Säre artist talk at RKS
Presentation by Johannes Säre, one of the participating artists

For those who missed the talks, HERE is a feature from the radio news about the project.

And HERE is the official blog of the project with program.

11 October 2013

Lo&Behold

Xplosif presents: Lo&Behold
ADAMS (S), E.B. ITSO (DK), PØBEL (N), RIDDER (N), COPE2 (US), INDIE 184 (US), HONET (F), INXS (F), ATLE ØSTREM (N)
10.10.-10.11.13
Kinokino, Sandnes
Graffiti, paintings, installations, photo documentation, video, performance

Adams & E.B.Itso: End of the Line /DSB3
Adams & E.B.Itso: End of the Line /DSB3

The ultimate thrill in art is when I feel I have experienced something unique, something few others have experienced, something that rarely happens, something that makes you look at things differently,  something that gives great inspiration, something that goes beyond my expectations. This describes my feelings after the opening of the "Lo&Behold" exhibition at Kinokino.

Honet: Immersion(s)
Honet: Immersion(s)

The exhibition is arranged as part of the Xplosif hip-hop festival, and for the first time the exhibition is held in Sandnes, in the experiment hall at Kinokino. It contains canvases, photos, videos and installations of major artists deep rooted in graffiti culture. Here are graffiti pieces transferred to canvas, figurative murals transferred to installations, text-and-figure murals evolved on canvases. Here are urban interventions documented in photos and videos. And the climax: Performances and lectures about artistic expeditions and urban interventions.

Ridder: Ridder Treeman Watching Oslo Destruction
Ridder: Ridder Treeman Watching Oslo Destruction

Atle Østrem: Royal With Cheese + Animal Kingdom
Atle Østrem: Royal With Cheese + Animal Kingdom

The graffiti roots are easily found in the works of Cope2 and Indie184. Atle Østrem has evolved his own unique style paintings of text and personalities. Pøbel has created a fairytale from a broken can of paint. Ridder both presents paintings and a rather disturbing video of a shaman in the vicinity of Oslo, maybe in the controversial newly opened femininity sculpture park at Ekeberg. Adams and E.B.Itso have documented a project of a movable home on rails through Sweden. And Honet takes us on a crazy journey through famous buildings, baths and underground tunnels.

Indie 184: Quiet Storm + Cope2: Untitled

Indie 184: Quiet Storm + Cope2: Untitled
 
Pøbel: Untitled
Pøbel: Untitled

At the opening two lectures or performances were held. Inxs presented, or DJ’ed, a great video&music story about the conquest of ghost ships. And my personal absolute favourite: Adams and E.B.Itso talked and showed pictures about their past and present projects about alternative quarters nearby or on the railroad. The artists who have been underground both literally and symbolically, suddenly appear on the stage of  Kinokino, presenting projects so intriguing and impressive I still have trouble believing they are true. A shed built by found material close to the railroad in Finland. An apartment under the Central station in Copenhagen. And when that was discovered, another one even more hidden, still in central Copenhagen. And a shed, still made by found material, moving on railroad tracks through Sweden. The climax was a video documenting how to reach the Central station apartment and their life inside it.

Inxs: Ghost Ships
Inxs: Ghost Ships

I feel privileged to have experienced this. A huge thanks to Kinokino, Xplosif and all involved in arranging and pulling this through!

New streetart in Stavanger

Streetart
in the Streets of Stavanger
autumn 2013

The Nuart festival is the by far most massive contributor of streetart to Stavanger. But some other works do appear from time to time also outside the festival frames. This is what I have found in the streets lately. Mostly found around Tou Scene. I find especially the long, black figures and the pasteup collages interesting, hoping that a new artist has emerged in town.

Dabs&Myla in Stavanger
Dabs&Myla

Dabs&Myla in Stavanger
Dabs&Myla

Dabs&Myla in Stavanger
Dabs&Myla

New stencil art found in Stavanger
Ninja

New stencil art found in Stavanger
DJ

New stencil art found in Stavanger
Lervig

Paste-up art at Tou Scene
Headless figure

Paste-up art at Tou Scene
Flowerhead

Paste-up art at Tou Scene
Disease

Paste-up art at Tou Scene
Peeping

This looks a bit like a goat
This looks a bit like a goat

Pop-up oil
by dotdotdot

This comes in colors... + Giacometti figurine
This comes in colors... -by dotdotdot + one of the new Giacometti style figurines in town

Giacometti figurines
Another stick figure

Giacometti figurines

Giacometti figurines

Teardrop game
Crying game

Make something please
Make something please - Intervention on a wall formerly decorated by David Choe and Skewville

Colorful face at Geoparken
From Geoparken