art collective

A Norwegian Art Experience

Kathleen Cullen — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 22:02:57 +0000

A Norwegian Art Experience Kathleen Cullen September 6, 2023 - 18:02

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Stephanie Lüning, Collectivity Painting - No. I, Jeløy, Norway, Momentum 12. Photo: Stefan Schröder

The 12th Nordic Biennale of Contemporary Art running from June 10 - October 8 is a great reason to go to the Island of Jeløya, home to Alby Farm and the location of Galleri F15 and the MOMENTUM 12 Nordic Biennale of Contemporary Art. Begun in 1998, in this beautiful environment, the biennale is a pristine canvas that allows its audience to examine in a more poignant way the collective as a subset of the art world. For this 12th edition Momentum was a space where art met a wider public -- for local, global, residents, and non-specialists to interface. The Art Collective Tenthaus has been working together in various constellations since 2009. Characterized by an openness and process-oriented collaboration, Tenthaus involves local,national, and international art communities. As an inclusive collective, Tenthaus reimagines various contexts and platforms for artistic investigation, exploring what it means to be artists working with the public locally. Inviting artists beyond the established Western centers to respond to this beautiful environment, a pristine canvas allowing each Tenthaus member to examine the work of over 90 creatives, collectives, and institutions

The collective's appointment is in keeping with a wider shift in the art world towards new methods of curating -- as most notably evidenced by the artist collective Ruangrupas whose direction of Documenta 15 in 2022, was marked by allegations of antisemitic content within the installations. Momentum wished to provide a space for dialogue and diverse artistic practices and cultural exchange and it called upon Ruangrupas to support some of its projects. Around the central space is the Galleri F15, a two story space for workshops and performances with a focus on ecology, a protected nature reserve, five biotopes, and a cultural history from the 1800s. The Galleri F15 is one of the most prestigious exhibition venues in Norway, devoted to contemporary craft and indigenous arts. There is also a small museum Naturhuset which illustrates the anthropological, geological and faunal history of the place where artists Ann-Cathrin Hertlin and Mars Huke hosted sessions. As director Dag AAk Sveinar commented: "Sustainability, interdisciplinary, providing an inclusive approach for our audiences and a reconsideration of the past are at the core of the biennale."

"Tenthaus as an art collective is moving toward a model of polyphonic co-authorship. Polyphonic suggests the harmonic possibility of producing more than one independent melody at a time in a single composition," the collective said in a statement. "To a great extent, this is how Tenthaus functions; each individual practice both resonates and amplifies itself through collective work. We produce and involve many themes and curatorial ideas at the same time. In this way, we are able to explore a myriad of concurrences; subjects and artistic forms each carrying resonance and meaning."

Their idea for the Embassy Project involved other international Biennials -- to intervene through free projects such as podcasts, interviews, graphics or communication designs of actual objects like a kiosk made of wood and recycled materials from the Salangen Biennale II. Here's how they operate -- each member of Tenthaus curates an artist and the individual practice amplifies itself through collective work to produce many themes and curatorial ideas at the same time.

"Together as we gather, practices a gathering methodology."

What are the highlights of this collective field of curating? The Bread and Butter Workshop for Dummies transformed a book space into an exhibition space -- the exhibition is a site of bookmaking and publishing. As the biennale does not promote individual authorship but promotes collaborative processes, the B & B Workshops host, educate, and archive self-publishing for Taiwanese artists for 4 months.

Among the commissioned projects are Enrique Guadarrama Solis (Mexico), The P.R.I.N.T. Chronicles (2023); Gudskul (Indonesia), Stitching Ecosystems: Gudkitchen-Tentskul (2023); Anawana Haloba (Zambia), When we continue living in stars, a conversation with Hannah Ryggen; So Yo Hen (Taiwan), Hua-shan-qiang (2013/2023); Ann Cathrin Hertling and Marte Huke (Norway), Can I breathe in it? (working title) (2023); Thomas Iversen (Norway), Byens flass [City-dandruff] (2023); Morag Keil, Untitled (2023); Stephanie Lüning (Germany), Island of Foam - Version # XXV / Coloured Barn (2023) and Collectivity Painting # I & II - MOMENTUM Biennale (2023); Alessandro Marchi (Italy), Ingenmannsretten (2023); Germain Ngoma(Zambia), Forest (2023); Andrea Parkins (USA), The Stray II (2021–2023); Margrethe Pettersen(Sápmi) and Line Solberg Dolmen (Norway), Conversations with what runs deep (2023); Fotobook DUMMIES Day (Taiwan), Bread and Butter Bookshop (2023); Kate Rich (UK), Feral Business Training Camp (2023); Jaanus Samma (Estonia), National Utopia (2023); WET (Czech Republic), Wetcation (2023); Nayara Leite (Brazil), In Search of Rainbows (2022); Marek Sobocinski (Poland), SLAVA (2023); Gabo Camnitzer (Sweden / USA), 50 Million Windows(2023); Blikkåpnerne (Norway), Rage room (2023); Luiz Roque (Brazil), S (2017); Dáiddadállu Artist Collective (Sápmi), Untitled (2023); Salangen Biennale/IPIHAN (Norway), Info / Merch(2023); P1 resident artists Jasper Siverts, Ana Marques Engh and Bendik-Bendik Syversætre Johannessen, Things Don’t Run We (2023); Lise Linnert (Norway), Colours for hope and equality - picnic blankets (2018–2023); and many more.

Let's start with The Library which was transformed into what was called a Bread and Butter Bookshop as a way to expand a book space into an exhibition space. The biennale theme does not prioritize individual authorship but rather as a collaboration drawing on objects and processes in the present. Permanent and local artists in Taiwan displayed their publications and stood ready for discussion.

Artist Stephanie Luning, chosen by Arnisa Zeqo, expanded the thoughts on interactive collective concept and the non-objective with her dot paintings and foam sculpture. It's conceptually important that art reaches everyone so Stephanick relied upon a collective effort to make dot paintings with plant-based colors. The audience threw colored ice cubes on the canvas thereby providing a magical interactive and collective experience. Stephanies' foam sculpture oozing from the barn was a hit with the audience's children.

"WET Wetting, Hop out spot, Wetget" edited by Stan D'Haene is an energetic video and colorful installation by a collective of five Czech women whose name has an erotic and permeating appeal. Their transcription and installation of texts, drawings, and photographs of their journey a wandering cross Europe on makeshift transport of freight trains or hitchhiking is hobo-chic. WET mixes water mythology with their version of a catalog or a subculture magazine and asks you to explore boundaries -- give up your normal comforts, ride freight cars across various countries, abandon normal hygienic practices, and dine from the street.

The Mexican artist Enrique Tenthous took the residue of government buildings and related it to the history of pigment grinding his own from the shards of old structures. With his new geology and a traditional woodblock press that the artist had built on site Enrique invited his audience to create their own woodblock prints in the exhibition hall with these natural resources.

The Italian artist Alessandro Marchi Ingenmannsretten (edited by Shahrzad Melekian) addresses the accumulation of wealth and real estate and the domino effect of the law of 2014 in Norwary that abolished taxation for inheritances and gifts passed on to family members. Citing Ivar Tollefsen, the 5th richest man in Norway, it was based on his real estate fortune. The increase in the value of his assets rose by 858% between 2014 and 2022. The increase was given as a gift by Tollefsen to his daughter Ninja of 45 billion Norwegian Kroner just before moving out of the country.

Alessandro's work consists of a large map charting the various Norwegian political and economic connections. Such connections are also echoed by five wooden sculptures placed in the surrounding landscape -- pine wood totems carved -- symbolic elements linked to those places and their connection to land use system.

In exploring local contexts and issues of collectivity and engagement, Tenthaus Art Collective has cultivated a strong relationship with the local community and a nurturing environment for the guest artists.

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Behind The Red Door

Dusty Wright — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 14:39:56 +0000

Behind The Red Door Dusty Wright August 13, 2006 - 10:39

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I'm honored to be a founding member of a Chelsea-based art collective called Emergency Arts.

What is it?

Imagine Arcosanti meets "free" Art Commune (working out of a generously donated, rent-free space) in an enormous building in the West 20s with a "secret" red door entrance. EA was masterminded by Melody Weir and her friend, the building's landlord. Not just as workspaces for the artists, but also common areas to curate shows and share our mission statement and ethos. Each artist is building out his/her own space with found or recycled objects. These spaces will function as work and gallery spaces to curate shows, etc. Many important art and media people are now starting to come in and out of the space and it will afford both the artists and the curious a synergy of uncompromised vitality and awareness.

This is our mission statement:

EMERGENCY is a group of multi-disciplinary artists and media creators who are responding to environmental, social and political crises within New York City and around the globe. Our Manhattan home base is the heart of the Chelsea Art District and houses projects presenting creative solutions to our most pressing problems. These projects range from humanitarian aid organizations to environmental companies to alternative energy producers to artists whose work focuses on the most pressing issues of the moment. The building itself is a showcase of sustainable construction featuring recycled building materials, super-efficient electrical systems, green-roofing, and collective responsibility. We see this project as proof-positive of what can be done to rebalance our policies and practices, thus helping to improve the world through beautiful yet pragmatic solutions.

Photo Credit: Dusty Wright

Artists are often on the front line of raising our collective social consciousness. Regardless of your feelings about U2's music, lead singer Bono has done more with his celebrityhood in promoting a healthier planet and people than any recent pop culture figure I can name. Using a more modest profile, actor/EA member Matthew Modine has taken it upon himself to use his leverage in New York and Hollywood to make a difference. He'll be producing his new documentary out of our space as well as launching numerous eco-friendly campaigns to lessen the impact of waste in New York City -- campaigns we hope will be adapted globally, like Mayor Bloomberg's "smoke free" campaign has been adopted by municipalities all over the world. (I sat with him for a lengthy podcast that I'll be posting shortly.)

Modine's got a terrific campaign to replace traditional plastic utensils that so dominate our "carry-out" food culture with biodegradable corn starch-based cutlery. This will revolutionize the fast food business and eliminate yet another pollution problem. You can read more detailed info on this fascinating application at Biodegradable Food Service. Modine is also spearheading a two-wheeled global event called "BICYCLE FOR A DAY". He's completed a three-minute film that will promote this exceptional worldwide event in June 2007. You'll be able to watch it as a vidcast on our site as well.

We have a group of young artists called Armada that has just completed its Mississippi River raft -- two Volkswagen Rabbit diesel engines converted to run on waste vegetable oil (used fryer grease) will power the propeller -- that launched this past weekend. They're looking to spread their message by floating down this mighty river on a raft built out of found objects.

The Miss Rockaway Armada is a group of approximately 25 performers and artists from all over the country including members of the Toyshop Collective, Visual Resistance, The Amateurs, The Floating Neutrinos, The Infernal Noise Brigade, The Madagascar Institute, and the Rude Mechanical Orchestra. This July they will converge in Minneapolis to construct a flotilla of rafts that will journey down the Mississippi River. They'll stop in towns along the way, hosting musical performances and vaudeville variety-theater in the evenings, along with workshops and skill-shares centered around arts and environmental issues during the day. In their travels they intend to share stories and to solicit dialog around subversive and constructive ways of living. They are a group of intrepids who believe in a hands-on, live-by-example approach to creating change within our culture. They are taking cues from Johnny Appleseed, traveling medicine shows, nomadic jewel box theater, and of course that old radical Mark Twain.

And our friend and advisor Scott Harrison at Charity Water is currently working on an urban "money for water" campaign to deliver clean water to people who have none (1.2 billion people don't have clean water in the world, more than 1 billion people have to walk three miles for water that might not even be clean, and 25,000 people die every day due to water-related diseases). He also brings to the group his first hand experience on a mercy ship; ocean vessels providing health care to the poor in port areas around the world. His compassion and energy is boundless. We are blessed to have him as part of our collective.

We at EA are also currently seeking eco-friendly sustainable energy sources. (Perhaps some readers can help me locate sources to contact to see if anybody might be interested in donating materials or using our space to test materials to help better offset the ever-rising electrical costs we will soon accrue.) I've been in touch with wind turbine companies that might be interested in testing some models on our roofline. We are also considering a living "green" roof that will help insulate the building and offer many invaluable additions to our cooperative.

If any of you would like to know more about wind power, I would encourage you to watch a wind power documentary about its positive impact on communities that have adopted this clean energy alternative. No noise, no safety issues, no pollution. You can access an amazing educational documentary about wind power at The Alliance for Clean Energy New York.

In six short weeks, we've made tremendous progress in building our urban utopia, and I'm certain all of us would like to help raise our positive consciousness globally. We should all pitch in, regardless of how hopeless you may feel, eliminating all cultural, ethnic, religious, and political barriers to promote a world that deserves to be as healthy as its inhabitants.

I would encourage you all to pursue bio-sustainable and bio-diversity programs in your day-to-day life and in your community. Examine environment-friendly energy sources and how they can augment your lifestyle. It can be as simple as picking up litter in your neighborhood or bringing your own tote bag grocery shopping. It's imperative that we replace oil-derivative products with bio-sustainable ones. We have an emergency-level need to integrate bio-diversity and bio-sustainable systems into all of our daily lives.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite maxims, which our Native Americans championed so many years ago and that rings even more relevant today: "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."