Ragnhildur Johanns (IS), Johan Gaellman (S), Karlotta Blöndal (IS), Ingeborg Kvame (N)
7.2.-17.3.13
Stavanger Kunstforening
Paintings, installations, mixed media in an collective art project
Five artists from three different countries spent two weeks together on an uninhabited island not far from Stavanger. Through common joys and difficulties the works for this exhibition was created. The island is visible in some works, not apparent in other. It also seems the artists spent quite some time exploring the building of the exhibition.
Exhibition opening - Karlotta Blöndal, Ragnhildur Johanns, Johan Gaellman, Ingeborg Kvame and Kenneth Varpe from Stavanger kunstforening
Heterotopia is either the displacement of an organ from its normal position, or a different world. In this exhibition both explanations may be relevant. The island must for sure have been felt like a different world, especially when staying there as long as two weeks. It seems like a plot for a reality show: Put five artists on an uninhabited island for two weeks and see what happens. We are not provided live broadcasting from the show, but the results of it. In fact, in the drawing books "Paint with the Cyclops", we are actually presented a story of five persons and their adventures on an island. An explanation of "heterotopic" may also relate to the Cyclop, the keeper of the island, having lost one of its eyes in hope of receiving a heart of gold.
Johan Gaellman: Paint with the Cyclops + Cyclops
One thing I love about this exhibition is that they are using the building in a new way. One room is just empty, called "dark space", and another room (with the drawing books) is called "empty space". And for the first time I am allowed up to the attic, where I was not able to spot the installation, but enjoyed the view of the beautiful downlight windows.
Karlotta Blöndal: Untitled
What I also really love about this exhibition are the works by Ragnhildur Johanns, lines from different pages portrude from the edge of a book. This is a wonderful installation in itself, but the real magic appears when it is photographed. When going very close some sentences are in focus, others are not. Different stories are told, depending on where the point of focus is set.
Ragnhildur Johanns: Syn og sanser
Ragnhildur Johanns: Syn og sanser
The exhibition as a whole is a collection of different works of different artists and different techniques. In some of the works the cooperation is very visible, in others less. The story of what happened on the island remains a secret, we only get some hints. But those are beautiful hints.
Karlotta Blöndal: Days on end
Karlotta Blöndal: Collecting pressure
Ingeborg Kvame: Leitar i skumring
Johan Gaellman: Selfportrait
