Morten Viskum

Morten Viskum
21.11.-19.12.13
Kunstgalleriet, Stavanger
Installations, paintings, collages

Again Morten Viskum flirts with death. But in contrast to earlier works, when he has been painting with a anonymous dead man's hand, now he has quite obvious hints to who this dead person may be. The pop art on the walls, the stuffed chimpanzee, the clothes and coke can, and not least the displayed interview with Michael Jackson lead most of us to a conclusion to who may be hidden under the blanket. But then again we know that can not really be the case. The title "I'm crazy about Liza, we get on the phone and just gossip, gossip, gossip" is a quote from the interview featured on the wall. Somehow I feel this is more a mocking than a hommage to the diseased. Which leads to the question: why is it morally acceptable to mock a living person, but not a dead one?

Our icons are dead, whether it is Michael Jackson, Mao or Marilyn. Or Andy Warhol, the author of the bloodstained artworks. The only one left sitting upright is the chimpanzee Bubbles. Even he seems a bit stuffed. We are probably left on our own.


I'm crazy about Liza, we get on the phone and just gossip, gossip, gossip


I'm crazy about Liza, we get on the phone and just gossip, gossip, gossip


Olav

The dead hand is also present in these works, Viskum has been painting the usual patterns with it, but now on a mannequin. But the strokes of a dead hand can not bring life to a plastic person, not even with lively colors.


Istanbul I-V

And the dead hand is also present in the monocrome, or almost monocrome paintings, obviously painted with the same hand.


Monochrome


I hate Haugar

Upstairs are prints of collages containing a dead baby rat in the pose of Munch's Scream, in front of famous artworks. This one is especially interesting, as the background picture is not Munch's Scream but Andy Warhol's version of it. This points to an exhibition at Haugar art centre in Vestfold called "Munch by others", where artwork by both Viskum and Warhol were featured. 


I hate art

The other collages are less specific, stating the general "I hate art". Leaving it up to the public to decide if the hater is the artist or the dead baby rat. Featured are artwork by Mondrian, Liechtenstein, Matisse and others. There may be quite a lot of people that would be indifferent to these artworks, but it would be difficult to find someone who really hates them. The baby rat may have a purpose to ruin the artworks, but the idea may also be to make them better. At least they do not make me hate art.

Chosil Kil: Man of Tomorrow

Man of Tomorrow
Chosil Kil
29.11.-8.12.13

Galleri Opdahl, Stavanger
Installations

Every time I visit an exhibition I hope to get a moment of magic, of enlightenment, of surprise or of joy. Today at Gallery Opdahl I really experienced a moment of magic.

Sometimes the descriptions and teasers for exhibitions seem promising, but then the exhibition itself does not quite live up to it. At Opdahl it was the other way around. On beforehand I saw photos of large balloons floating in mid-air, connected to some items on the ground by strings. At first I admired the balloons as almost impossible sculptures as they were, not sinking, not rising. But then magic happened. As I was moving through the room, the slight movements in the air made the balloons move, and dragged their metal anchors gently along the floor, and the sound of celestial bells rang. As I moved around and between the balloons, the chime sound increased, and I became part of the cinetic installations. The title "Ballroom" may point to the air-filled balls in the air, but just as much to my urge to dance among the balloons.

The exhibition also contains interesting sculptures, a balloon cast in aluminium and a water filled balloon, and a collage of lambskins. But this time the floating balloons got all my attention. 


Exhibition view


Ballroom


Dog Paddle


Dog Paddle


 
Goalkeeper

Nuart video

Nuart 2013
September
Stavanger
Street art festival

Now the Nuart-film is published, showing a charming taste of the experiences during this year's street art festival. You might find some familiar art and people in there.

NUART 2013. SHOWTIME from NUART on Vimeo.

Stavanger Croquis

Croquis exhibition
Stavanger Croquis group
23.-24.11.13
Bekkefaret bydelshus, Stavanger

Croquis is about drawing sketches of a model who changes poses in intervals of 0,5 to 10 minutes. And sometimes the model keeps the pose for the whole evening. These are the drawings, paintings and prints of the Stavanger Croquis group through weekly drawing sessions.

Kristiina Hansen: Changing, it rests

Changing, it rests
Kristiina Hansen
11.-23.11.13
Draakoni galerii, Tallinn
Photos, miniature installations

Nothing is as it seems at first glance, it is all out of proportions, upside down, or just impossible. Kristiina Hansen makes this happen through photo and installations. Small becomes large or large becomes small, the portraits are upside down, hidden or absurd. And the tools for sorting it all out, through rules (of nature or of chess, represented by a chess token and bird feathers), measuring (represented by the angle ruler) all fall short of the gold-on-the-hook installation. We strive to understand, but just end up as more confused. Small bits of gold fall to the floor, and we will never be able to repair it as it was. We are in a game of chess that we are bound to lose. Or win.










In the right side installation a piece of gold leaf is hanging on a fish hook. A fan is blowing up from the base, making the gold tremble constantly, and even som bits have fallen to the floor.

Kirke Kangro: Almost

Almost
Kirke Kangro
13.-25.11.13
Hobusepea galerii
Moving installations

Wonderful surprises and great games with possibilities and opposites in this exhibition by Kirke Kangro. 


That's where the light gets in

Two pendulums are constantly waving towards and away from each other. One pendulum has a light bulb and the other a camera. The output of the camera is shown on a screen nearby. The light almost crashes into the camera every time, both as you see it yourself and on the screen. A tiny adjustment, and they would crash. If you try to get into the view of the camera, you risk being hit too.


That's where the light gets in


Scream

A cloudlike installation hanging in the air is constantly trembling by waves emitted from a speaker in the ceiling.


Almost

A structure identical to the pillar holding up the first floor, is standing free on the floor with no support task. Actually the pillar is supported by a simple, wooden pole, that avoids the pillar from falling.

Ulvi Haagensen: Aagh! Õehh!

Aagh! Õehh!
Ulvi Haagensen
8.11.-26.11.13
Hop Galerii, Tallinn
Installation, live drawing

This quite unusual exhibition consists of white clothes hung to dry, and wall drawings expanding every day. The artist herself is present in the exhibition almost every day drawing live. What she draws are the clothes. If the title points to how boring and exhausting laundry is, she is taking it to the maximum by also drawing it. And if you happen to brush against the wall you will need to wash your clothes too. Then you also may draw it as it dries. Watching paint dry is not usually the most inspiring activity, but Haagensen makes drying laundry inspiring.

Streetart in Tallinn

Streetart
Tallinn
November 2013

These are my few new finds of streetart in Tallinn this autumn.

On a wall of an empty factory building of the Vineeri quartal I found this paste-up gallery:














Knit art


The four-legged princess by MinajaLydia