Solveig Landa: I AM I AM I AM

I AM I AM I AM
Solveig Landa
25.4.-15.5.13
Trykk17, Stavanger
Prints and sculptures

This is an exhibition that screams for attention in its title, with capitals and repetition on the simple, but important fact that "I am". I am entering a world of wonders and zeppeliners, like in the technical drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, but also the ultraoptimistic science fiction of the sixties. Globes and zeppeliners dance with humans in these colorful prints, and there are miniature models as well. And a flow of bits of branches turning the floor into some imaginary wet or icy patch. The exhibition deserves the attention it craves. I get this urge to fly away somewhere, but at the same time, this is a good place to stay.


Våpen av rust og vind + From the Back of My Eyes


Weary River


I AM I AM I AM/ I stille vind + Luftgåte + Inn og ut av meg sjølv


Hurt Core + I will leave now

Kristen V. Rønnevik: Relasjoner/Relay(tions)

Relasjoner/Relay(tions)
Kristen V. Rønnevik
Kinokino, Sandnes
19.4.-23.6.13
Documentation of green interventions in public space, part of an exhibition series, a relay from from artist to artist at Kinokino

Life becomes art, art becomes life.

Art, business, and lifestyle are all blended in this work by KVR. On his travel by bike from Haugesund to Sandnes, there are many spontaneous stops on the way. His occupation is green gardening, and when he notice something that needs to be fixed on the way, he stops to get it done. Instead of taking care of private gardens as he usually do, his attention is now on the public areas than nobody care about. The grass and shrubbery along the roads are carefully treated with love. Green plants emerging from the ground are given more space, a dumped bed on the roadside is turned into a resting place, tall grass is cut. 

This slow way of travelling is not common anymore. We all want to go faster, faster, and miss the opportunity to stop and enjoy the details, especially the ordinary ones. A symbolic part of this was to do the trip including the ferry from Skudesneshavn to Mekjarvik. This line will be closed this summer, to make way for a new road that makes us go faster. There will be no more contemplating on the waves of the sea on this four-times-a-day ferry that used to be the main transport route along the west coast. Even if this transport route will be lost, we will still be able to travel slowly by bike. Rønnevik has shown us how.

Juan Andres Milanes: Mind the Gap

MIND THE GAP
Juan Andres Milanes
Hå gamle prestegard
20.4.-2.6.13
Installations and paintings

Everyday objects of impossible features in awkward positions. Juan Andres Milanes makes you look twice, not believing your own eyes. Epoxy moulds of forklifts (or whatever they are called) seem for real, but they are much, much lighter. So light, they are not breaking the dry stands beneath. Or so light they may be carried on your shoulder, which the artist actually did on the Oslo metro. This is one of several performances he made with his artwork in public space.

The performances are not documented in film or photos but in the artist's own paintings. An artwork based on an artwork. The paintings are wonderful as such, but even greater knowing that these are not only ideas for performances, but they actually took place.

Another piece is a sink, also in epoxy, with too many handles for cold water. It seems all to be in order, but I will never know if water will flow, because I would never be able to decide which tap to turn.

Another intervention in public space is a video showing the artist activating homeless people in Oslo. They are given professional dance lessons, to perform a dance show in the streets. The artist change them from invisible people to visible people.

I love surprises in art, I love original ideas, and I love a good puzzle. Milanes provides it all.


Exhibition view


Analyzing-sanity


Walking my pet


CW


Walking my pet

 
In a straight line from my face to my back

Anne Helen Robberstad: Sårbar

Sårbar
Anne Helen Robberstad
Hå gamle prestegard
20.4.-2.6.13
Videos of farmers, animals and scholars about farmlife and nature at Jæren

 

It takes some effort to sit down to enjoy these works. The cold draft in this old barn, the limited number of headphones and the length of the videos may scare some off. But if you DO sit down you are entering a world you thought you knew all about but probably did not.

Anne Helen Robberstad has turned her attention to the most visible occupation at Jæren - the farms. She has interviewed farmers, but also scholars and animal-rights-activists. The result is a wide portrait of the life as a farmer, the life as a farm animal, the relation between them, and a portrait of the cultural landscape at Jæren. We take so much for granted, we buy our meat from the shop, and are happy if we stay ignorant about the killing of the animals and the smell of manure. What is it like to choose not only an occupation, but also an all-consuming way of living for the rest of your life? Which relation is it really between farmers and animals, do the farmers care about each animal? Those are some of the questions to be answered in the barn.

Nils Eger: Maleri

Maleri
Nils Eger
Hå gamle prestegard
20.4.-2.6.13
Abstract paintings

Hågamle presents a large exhibition of works by Nils Eger, a feast of colorful abstract paintings in egg/oil tempera. Nothing is coincidental here, the colors, the technique, each brushstroke and even the format of the canvases are well decided. The results are artworks of depth and surprises enough to keep you occupied for a long time and many times.

HAiK

HAiK
Rogaland Kunstsenter, Stavanger
14.3.-12.5.13
Crossover art/fashion exhibition

An exhibition in two phases, part of a larger scheme of exhibiting artist collectives. HAiK is a collaboration of fashion designers, artists and more. The first phase was gathering information about the local habits. What was important was whether we recycle or repair our clothes, or just throw them away and buy new.

HAiK (hitchhike) is a group of people hitchhiking with others in their art projects. Like with a real hitchhike you never know who you will join, where you will get, when you will get there and what you will experience on the way.


Marianne Hurum: Møbler for HAiK

The interviews took place on these aestethical but rather uncomfortable sculptures. In addition there were depth interviews with chosen people.

The second phase shows the results of the first phase:


Clothing repaired by the chosen informants are on display, together with a photo and the story.



Sculpture by Anders Smebye, probably inspired by the first phase


The latest fashion, clothing inspired by the interviews, the "repairments" are made visible like decorative elements.


Several works by Ruben Steinum, probably inspired by the first phase.
Some works include clothing by the designers.

 
 Ana Danell: S for Skulptur

Kjell Pahr-Iversen

Kjell Pahr-Iversen
Galleri Gann
6.4.-8.5.13
Abstract paintings

Many have tried to copy his iconic style, but nothing is like the original. Pahr-Iversen's works may be seen as single pieces in collection all round in the area, but this is a rare chance to see many of his paintings together. Here are works of his floral series, but also from the vertebrae series and works with titles Ikon, Fantasiens torg and Innseilingen. There is something so impulsive but at the same time so planned in his works, some kind of spontaneous patterns.


Columna vertebralis


Ikon


Innseilingen

 
Fantasiens torg + variasjoner over et botanisk tema

Tore Hansen

Tore Hansen
Galleri Gann, Sandnes
6.4.-15.5.13
Norwegian nature in woodprints

From the deep forests of Norway comes an artist with deep rooted motives on wood prints. Symbols and pictograms pointing to the iron age rock carvings, but also to the more present olympic games on Lillehammer, but with a twist of humor. The bicycles have moose heads, like the dragon head on viking ships, the sportsmen are rather too sporty, wawing their limbs in impossible ways, and the chess players are playing with trees. This is a breath of fresh air, smelling of forest, fun and history.  

Vestlandsutstillingen 2013

Vestlandsutstillingen
Tegn/NearFar
Stavanger kunstforening
11.4.-1.5.13
A wide range of drawing techniques on the topic near/far by artists somehow connected to West Norway

Each year there is an open call for artists connected to West Norway for Vestlandsutstillingen, an exhibition touring the west coast during the year. This year's chosen technique is drawing, and the topic is the duality or contrast Near/Far.

I love the idea of a democratic process and the element of surprise each year, you never know what you will get. The techique and the topic gives a wide range of possibilites for creativity.  I find quite some works having an impact on me, but I struggle to find the common factor in the works. Some of the works are far from drawing as you would expect it, on the other hand I do not find the topic in all the works either, and I wonder how tight connection the artists need to have to the west Norway. There seem to have been a quite wide understanding of the criterias. Does it matter? Not so much. But I do miss the one artwork that makes everything fit and connects it all.

Here are some of my impressions of Vestlandsutstillingen 2013:


Opening talk by curator Kjetil Berge, a positive event where each work was presented


Marianne Løvvik: Et annet land en annen tid

One of my favourite works, and the one work that really fits all the criteria. Sandnes-based Marianne Løvvik shows off her drawing skills in a work with duality, contrast, immediateness and depth.


View of one of the three exhibition halls, displaying the works "Svarte kladder" by Linda Skare, "To sider av same sak" by Anders Kjellesvik & Sigmund Skard, and Vania Cunha: "1714"


Janna Thøle-Juul: Untitled (tremaskin)

- a wonderful piece of perpetual Christmas: the two trees are spinning round, violently brushing against each other, debris being tossed around. It is at the same time a banal and complicated piece, intuitive and fun. It may be a ironic pointed finger to Christmas celebration, forestry or biodiversity issues.

In the background you also see the giant flower printed on paper, the ""Balderbrå/Matricaria Perforata" by Bodil Røvik-Larsen


Louisa Minkin: Sandnessangen

Earlier displayed during Vitamin Sandnes, Louisa Minkin's collection of drawings are based on found photos on the topic "Sandnes". Some motives are obvious, other rather obscure, and some (unintentionally) ironic. She made this drawings based on photos before having been in Sandnes at all. All is enchanced by her declamation of the patriotic Song of Sandnes, spoken with the voice of the artist having no idea about the meaning of the words.


Alexander Greenall: Rockwork

Also taking drawing seriously is Alexander Greenall, in a quiet and harmonic piece. It took a while to notice, but after some time I became increasingly fond of it. There is a certain feeling of spontaneuity in it, even if I have a strong feeling that each line is carefully planned.


Annika Strøm: Life upsets me

And I just fell for this simple and impressive dystopian message painted in bright colors. Sometimes it just is as easy as that.

Stencil Art Norway

Stencil Art Norway
Anders Gjennestad, Dolk, Dotdotdot, Hama, Martin Whatson, Mir, Pøbel, Stein
ReedProjects Gallery, Stavanger
13.4.-5.5.13
The first exhibition dedicated to Norwegian stencil streetart

Stencils have been in the streets of Norway for quite some time, especially in the streets of Stavanger and Bergen. But for the first time there is an exhibition showing the range of stencil artists in Norway. A decade of street art history is put together on 50m2 of the ReedProjects gallery in Stavanger, showing the stars, the up-and-coming and the has-been artists.

I am of the opinion that stencil art usually works best in the street, in the public. But some artists also manage to take the step into the gallery, still being relevant. Other works are rather reminders of what are or what have been in the streets. I am thrilled to see some "ancient" works by Dolk and Pøbel, but also some very interesting contemporary works, especially by Dotdotdot and Anders Gjennestad.




Anders Gjennestad: In the West


Dolk:Sexdoll

Hans Edward Hammonds: Floating World

Floating World
Hans Edward Hammonds
Tou Scene, Stavanger
5.-28.4.13
Photos

In the Beer Halls at Tou Scene, Hans Edward Hammonds presents his photos. An almost impossible task, to display "just" photos in such vast spaces. But the presentation is well considered. In the entrance hall the photos are hung on the wall as usual, but in one beer hall the photos are put on fitted tables, and in the other halls in light boxes. This gives an interaction with the viewer and takes hold of the space.  


The photos give an impression of being an outsider, a voyeur to somebody else's life. Here are pictures of holidays, parties and sights of unknown quality. Some pictures are uninteresting, some enigmatic, some repulsive. It is not your life, but maybe you would still like to know more about it?




I find the paradox in this photo intriguing: On a projected photo you see two peope and a projector. They seem rather uninterested in what is projected, while I am becoming more interesting in what is projected from the photo. Maybe what they see is a projection of me, and it does not seem interesting at all for them.


And what I considered the highlight is the hall of wide-angle photos of flat interiors, displayed on custom-made tables. The interiors reveal quite a lot about the inhabitants. Or does it? Is it my prejudice when I see the Ikea-bought poster on the wall, or the heap of cigarette butts, or the bicycle and study books?

The layout of the exhibition is the key to this exhibition. These photos could easily have disappeared in the space. And some do as well. But some of the carefully displayed photos are standing out to grab your attention and trigger your imagination.