Sol Kjøk - Art For Progress

RETURN TO ARTISTS

Portfolio

Calendar of Events

Dec 11, 2010

Winter Salon at Elga Wimmer PCC

X
Event	Winter Salon at Elga Wimmer PCC
When	Dec 11, 2010 1:00 PM — Jan 22, 2011 6:00 PM
Where	Elga Wimmer PCC 526 West 26th Street New York, NY
Description	Björn Ressle Art Project is pleased to present 2010 Winter Salon – In Synthesis, an exhibition of over fifty selected artists. Inspired by salon-style hanging, most commonly attributed to the Salon de Paris held during the 18th and 19th centuries, the show intends to provide patrons of the arts with an inviting, intimate viewing experience to initiate a dialogue between artists, their work and the viewer. Following the interactive installation of the 2008 Winter Salon at Björn Ressle Gallery, this show pays tribute to the format of a salon hanging and celebrates the tradition that continues to render expositions of a large numbers of artists and an even larger numbers of works. By utilizing the maximum floor-to-ceiling gallery space, The 2010 Winter Salon activates the wall with artworks in various media by artists, each of whom offer a unique perspective to the show. Established, innovative and emerging artists have contributed a body of nearly one hundred fifty works of art reflecting an impressive range of theories, generations, styles and distinctive visual expression. In order to synthesize numerous languages spoken through various artistic disciplines, the two long walls in parallel are carefully installed to create dialogue in the spatial order. The 2010 Winter Salon – In Synthesis allows the viewer access to some of the past and current pivotal artistic ideas while introducing newer talent, to generate fresh creative energy through unexpected juxtapositions. Artists represented: Ok Hyun Ahn, Lawrence Anastasi, William Anastasi, Carl Andre, Stuart Arends, Chan Hyo Bae, Robert Barry, Larry Bell, Joseph Beuys, Dove Bradshaw, John Cage, John Chamberlain, Jinkee Choi, Mark DeMuro, Linda DiGusta, Robert G. Edelman, Jacob El Hanani, Ron Gorchov, Jene Highstein, Gary Hill, David Hockney, Sook Jin Jo, Neil Jenney, Alex Katz, Linda Karshan, Miru Kim, Songyi Kim, Sol Kjok, Tadaaki Kuwayama, Kakyoung Lee, Zaun Lee, Sol LeWitt, Robert Mangold, Robert C. Morgan, Andy Moses, Gerard Mossé, Rakuko Naito, Dennis Oppenheim, Pim Palsgraaf, Keun Young Park, George Quasha, Robert Rauschenberg, Lovisa Ringborg, Dorothea Rockburne, Cordy Ryman, Ethan Ryman, Robert Ryman, Will Ryman, Fred Sandback, Anne Senstad, Howard Smith, Maxwell Stevens, Yuken Teruya, Cy Twombly, Ali Van, Bernar Venet, Merrill Wagner, Joan Waltemath, Marjorie Welish, Mark Wiener, Leah Yerpe, Mark Zimmermann
Link	http://www.solkjok.com/files/uploaded/file/WinterSalon2010_PR.pdf

Feb 4, 2011

THE NORTH STARS SERIES: Chapter 1, BLUE

X
Event	THE NORTH STARS SERIES: Chapter 1, BLUE
When	Feb 4, 2011 6:00 PM — Jan 3, 2011
Where	.NO - a Non-Profit Gallery 251 East Houston Street New York, NY 10002
Description	.NO, a non-profit gallery now opening on the Lower East Side, is proud to launch with THE NORTH STARS: BLUE, WHITE and RED, our inaugural series of three exhibitions presenting the work of 28 contemporary artists from Norway. The shows, structured around the colors of the Norwegian flag, explore the symbolism and psychological connotations inherent in each of these hues. Knowing that the Nordic region is often associated with co...ldness and melancholy, it seems apt to start the series with musings on the color BLUE. Next out is WHITE, featuring more pared‐down pictorial languages: minimalist investigations of form as well as figurative work where the expressive force resides in the naked line. RED, the final chapter of the series, presents narratives on the eternal themes of love, passion, gender, sex, pain, violence, and lust for life, all conveyed through a wide range of depictions of the body. Selected for the first chapter are bittersweet and dreamlike scenarios by accomplished painters Frank Brunner and André von Morisse, as well as Sol Kjøk's large-scale parables of the human condition. While the raw, spontaneous style of the five-member artists' collective Tegneklubben (The Drawing Club) is strikingly different from Åsil Bøthun's soft-spoken and poetic renderings, they all investigate peculiar aspects of the Norwegian psyche. Kurt Johannessen, a pioneer of the Norwegian performance art scene, will contribute textual pieces and artist books, while Mikkel Wettre and Stefan Schröder have been invited to create site-specific wall works. Showcased in the storefront window is a piece by Rune Olsen, whose provocative animal sculptures—which have been reviewed in Art in America, ArtForum, and Sculpture Magazine—are permanently on display at NYC's Museum of Sex.
Directions	.NO gallery is located at 251 East Houston Street, between Norfolk and Suffolk Streets. The closest subway stop Second Avenue – Lower East Side on the F-train. Gallery hours are Tuesdays to Fridays 12 pm – 6pm, and Saturday and Sundays 12 pm – 5 pm. Press viewings can be arranged prior to the exhibitions. For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact the gallery director at (646) 580-6535 or info@no-in-nyc.org
Link	http://www.no-in-nyc.org/
Image

Mar 4, 2011

THE NORTH STARS SERIES: Chapter 2, WHITE

X
Event	THE NORTH STARS SERIES: Chapter 2, WHITE
When	Mar 4, 2011 6:00 PM — 8:00 PM
Where	.NO - a non-profit gallery 251 East Houston Street New York, NY 10002
Description	.NO, a non-profit gallery that opened on the Lower East Side of Manhattan earlier this month, is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of WHITE, the second chapter of THE NORTH STARS. A series of 3 month-long group shows, each exhibit features contributions by 8-10 visual artists paired with one or more performance artist(s). Alluding to the participants' shared geographic origin, the title of the series is a tongue in cheek-reference to Polaris – Norwegian artists are, of course, the guiding lights of the art world! But implicit in it is also the very fallacy of the notion of one leading direction in the arts: with more than one steering star, who knows where true north lies? Structured around the colors of the Norwegian flag, the series explores the symbolism and psychological connotations inherent in each of these hues. Currently on view through March 3, the first installment is dedicated to the color BLUE. Then, opening on March 4, comes WHITE, a sampling of more pared‐down pictorial languages: minimalist investigations of form as well as figurative work where the expressive force resides in the naked line. RED, the final chapter of the series, will present narratives on the eternal themes of love, passion, gender, sex, pain, violence, and lust for life, all conveyed through a wide range of depictions of the body. With an emphasis on the medium of drawing, WHITE will feature Continuous City, a multi-piece in ink by Berlin-based Björn Hegardt, internationally known for his innovative editorship of FUKT - Magazine of Contemporary Drawing, which was recently presented at NYC's PS1. Lotte Konow Lund, who is currently working towards a solo show at the Vigeland Museum in Oslo, contributes Good Greed, a series of 13 drawings where she imagines what Gordon Gekko's art collection might look like today: by quoting other artists, she creates a send-up of the capitalist incarnate's view of life and art. Having just completed a solo show at the Platform China Contemporary Art Institute in Beijing, Ane Graff shows her exquisite renderings of the surface and structure of organic mass, while Kristin Skrivervik offers her sparse and graceful visual interpretations of Rupert Sheldrake's theory of morphic resonance. Also deceptively simple at first sight are Lars Strandh's monochromes, which are currently on view at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as in galleries in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and Tennessee. Finn Graff, a 73-year old Nestor of the Norwegian art world knighted with the Royal Order of St. Olav, exhibits one of his summarily elegant, but merciless portraits. Another witty take on the human form is Tail by Anki King, who recently won the 2010 London International Creative Award. Kurt Johannessen, the pioneering performance artist whose books and text pieces are featured throughout the NORTH STARS series, will show a suite of drawings created while blindfolded. Also included in each chapter are works by Sol Kjøk and Rune Olsen, whose original paper sculpture titled Rattus Norvegicus proved so compelling that it was stolen from the 2005 Istanbul Biennial. In memoriam of this lost piece, a bronze version of the original is currently on display at .NO. At the opening reception on March 4, the Glasgow-based artist Agnes Nerdregård will present a performance piece. The organizer behind the international performance art festival It's Never or Now! held in Bergen in January of this year, Nerdregård is recognized as one of the leading voices in the Norwegian performance art scene, known for her physically demanding and audacious work that pushes the limits of the human body. This inaugural series has been made possible thanks to generous support by the Office of Contemporary Art Norway, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in NYC, the Norwegian Relief Fund for Visual Artists (BKH), and other donors.
Directions	.NO gallery is located at 251 East Houston Street, between Norfolk and Suffolk Streets. The closest subway stop Second Avenue – Lower East Side on the F-train. Gallery hours are Tuesdays to Fridays 12 pm – 6pm, and Saturday and Sundays 1 pm – 6 pm. Press viewings can be arranged prior to the exhibitions. For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact the gallery director at (646) 580-6535 or mail@no-in-nyc.org
Link	http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11826&id=100002027225093&l=d1009fb70e

Apr 1, 2011

THE NORTH STARS SERIES: Last Chapter , RED

X
Event	THE NORTH STARS SERIES: Last Chapter , RED
When	Apr 1, 2011 6:00 PM — 8:00 PM
Where	.NO - a non-profit gallery 251 East Houston Street New York, NY 10002
Description	.NO, an artist‐initiated, nonprofit gallery that opened on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in February, is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of RED, the last chapter of THE NORTH STARS. A series of three month‐long group shows, each exhibit features contributions by 8‐10 visual artists paired with one or more performance artist(s). Alluding to the participants' shared geographic origin, the title of the series is a tongue in cheek‐reference to Polaris – Norwegian artists are, of course, the guiding lights of the art world! But implicit in it is also the very fallacy of the notion of one leading direction in the arts: with more than one steering star, who knows where true north lies? Structured around the tricolor of the Norwegian flag, the series explores the symbolism and psychological connotations inherent in the individual hues. Currently on view through March 30th, the second installment is dedicated to the color WHHHIIITTTEEE. Then, opening on April 1, the final round: RED, a selection of narratives on the eternal themes of love, passion, Eros, pain, violence, and lust for life, all conveyed through the vehicle of the body. A good fit in this context is Marit Victoria Wulff Andreassen, whose exquisite line drawings in story‐book style are quirky explorations of sexuality, gender and nature. Internationally known for her larger‐than‐life wall drawings, she just won the competition for a grand‐scale public artwork at Gassco in Kopervik, Norway, and will also create a site‐specific piece for RED. Mining a similar vein, Marianne Darlén Solhaugstrand has received critical acclaim for her intricate watercolors, which the Swedish art critic Tommy Olsson views as "some of the most steamily sexy you may risk upon in the Norwegian contemporary art scene." Also addressing issues of identity and gender, Hanne Lydia Opøien Kristoffersen's large colorpencil renderings on black paper have a more aggressive, confrontational impact. Featured in RED is a selection of portraits from her Belonging series, now also on view in her ongoing solo show at the Graamolna Museum of Art in Trondheim, for which she won the annual artist's prize awarded by Håkon Bleken's foundation. With a true passion for ballet, Eli Skomsø shows quickly captured impressions of soaring dancers. Also working with bodies in motion, Sol Kjøk has been invited to show her large‐scale tangles of figures in an international exhibit that will travel to several museums in the Philippines this fall. Kurt Johannessen, whose peculiar and poetic performances were featured in Guangzhou, Bergen, Arnhem, Glasgow, and Belfast over the past three months, offers another batch of textual pieces, while Rune Olsen will present a new sculpture originating from what Artforum's critic Franklin Melendez sees as "his ongoing investigation of the murky drives and blind impulses …that shape and define the structures of the social." Originally invited to participate in RED as a performance artist, multimedia practitioner Kjetil Skøien travels to Tallinn for a video project this month, and will instead contribute works in 2D. Also working in a wide range of disciplines, Londonbased Tone Gellein will premier a new performance piece at our special event scheduled for April 10th, as will Anne Marte Eidseth Rygh, founder and Editor‐in‐Chief of the art magazine performancekunst.no This inaugural series has been made possible thanks to generous support by the Office of Contemporary Art Norway, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in NYC, the Norwegian Relief Fund for Visual Artists (BKH), and other donors.
Directions	.NO gallery is located at 251 East Houston Street, between Norfolk and Suffolk Streets. The closest subway stop Second Avenue – Lower East Side on the F-train. Gallery hours are Tuesdays to Fridays 12 pm – 6pm, and Saturday and Sundays 12 pm – 5 pm. Press viewings can be arranged prior to the exhibitions. For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact the gallery director at (646) 580-6535 or info@no-in-nyc.org
Image

May 19, 2011

NORTH STARS Series Bonus Round: BLACK - Bold, Beautiful & Badass

Sep 7, 2011

NORWAY NOW in NYC

Jan 6, 2012

PARALLAX VIEWS - an exhibition curated by Kóan Jeff Baysa

X
Event	PARALLAX VIEWS - an exhibition curated by Kóan Jeff Baysa
When	Jan 6, 2012 6:00 PM — Jan 29, 2012
Where	.NO - a Nonprofit Gallery 251 East Houston Street New York, NY 10002
Description	Opening Reception: Friday, January 6, 6-8 pm with a performance by Roghie Asgari Torvund ARTISTS: Peter Johansson, Mamta B. Herland, Sada Sall Tanagara, Christian Bermudez, Milumbe Haimbe, Sabina Jacobsson, Paolo Manfredi, Jet Pascua, Shwan Dler Qaradaki, Roghieh Asgari Torvund PARALLAX VIEWS* On April 19, 1995, a bomber detonated a device that killed 168 people, including 19 children in a day care center, and injured many others. He was a decorated military service veteran, but his stated motives included retaliation for a government siege. He was white, a native of his country, America. His name was Timothy James McVeigh. On July 22, 2011, a terrorist bomb killed eight people and wounded others. Two hours later a gunman killed 69 people at a summer camp and injured others. The same alleged perpetrator considered his mission saving Europe from the threats of Islam, immigration and multiculturalism. He was white, a native of his country, Norway. His name is Anders Behring Breivik. In the days following the attacks, far-right groups such as Stop the Islamization of Norway (SIAN) and the Norwegian Defense League (NDL) supposedly witnessed a boom in their memberships. In both cases, the initial reaction was nearly uniform: that an outsider, a foreigner, likely from Muslim fundamentalism, perpetrated the terrorist attacks. Prominent Norwegian artist Lars Ramberg summarizes, “It was also a shock that the terrorist was one of our own, a blond white Christian from Oslo’s west-end with higher education. It really shook Oslo as an earthquake, politically, socially, emotionally, and culturally. I would say it changed the identity of Norway . . . a protected rather innocent and peace-loving nation, often supporting healing processes elsewhere in the world. Now Norway has to heal itself.” Zambian artist Milumbe Haimbe, who studied in Oslo, echoes, “My immediate assumption upon hearing about the terrorist attacks in Oslo and on the island was that one of the other immigrants were responsible, the other minorities were to blame.” Oslo’s river Akerselva divides the city into a prosperous white west side and a poorer multicultural east side. An estimated 28% of the population is foreign-born. The largest immigrant groups are Polish, Swedish, Pakistani, Iraqi, and Somali. In the past three decades, the rate of increase has been highest for Asian, African and Latin American immigrants. Roughly 40 per cent of the half million of immigrant background have Norwegian citizenship, and approximately 3 per cent of Norway’s population is Muslim. Leading European politicians play on how the swelling anti-Islamist, anti-immigrant movement resonates with public opinion: David Cameron of the UK, Angela Merkel of Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy of France have each given speeches over the past year espousing that multiculturalism has been an epic failure. Globalization and immigrants are blamed for increasing the numbers competing for employment opportunities and social benefits. This matrix of anti-immigrant sentiments was the kindling that fueled the volatile machinations of an individual like Breivik. Ingrained cultural factors like Janteloven further problematize the situation. Jante Law describes an attitude common in populations in Scandinavia where everyone knows everyone. Its ten rules put into words by Sandemose reflect a mentality that places all emphasis on the community while denigrating individuals who are distinguished for their achievements. At the core its message seems anti-racist but reinforces institutionalized bigotry. The curatorial approach to the exhibition addresses the tragic events in Oslo on 22 July 2011, both in its menacing foreshadowing and dreadful aftermath, but without gross literality, stark confron-tation or heavy handedness. The selection of artists and works for the exhibition, not exclusively from the immigrant perspective, was based primarily on their insightful, allusional, lyrical, metaphorical, even oblique ways of addressing the highly charged and prickly issues. It is the hope that these voices and messages be heard to affect positive change concerning immigrants in the country that, for the last two years, has maintained the highest measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living in the world. Kóan Jeff Baysa, M.D., November 2011 THE ARTISTS: Christian Bermudez debuted at the Norwegian government-sponsored National Autumn Exhibition in 2004. His work has been shown in galleries, museums and film festivals all over the world, winning several prizes. Milumbe Haimbe explores concepts dealing with the notion of alternative viewpoints, including the idea that identities are at best plural. Haimbe has exhibited at FOCUS10–Art Basel in Switzerland; attended the Art Omi International Artists’ Residency in New York and won several awards, including many prestigious artist grants funded by the Norwegian Government. Mamta B. Herland is a painter and a digital fine art artist. Her work has been exhibited worldwide: the UK, USA, India, Russia, China, as well as many countries in Europe and South America, and is also represented in private, public and corporate collections internationally. Sabina Jacobsson is a video, photo, performance and installation artist with several exhibitions/screenings around the world, incl. the government-sponsored National Autumn Exhibition at Kunstnernes Hus (Norway); and Beyond Media in Italy. Peter Johansson has explored Scandinavian tradition and culture through artwork and close to 20 books over the past two decades. Paolo Manfredi is an artist and curator. He has worked on issues concerning society and the development of art in late post-modernity, of consumerism as today's spiritual dimension and of globalization as the reversal of geography. Jet Pascua is a multifaceted artist who has shown extensively in Norway and the Philippines, as well as at the TATE in London. In 2010, he received a 3-year grant for artist-run spaces from the Norwegian Arts Council. Shwan Dler Qaradaki seeks to promote new thoughts and new viewpoints in discussions, in relation to and in opposition to the political discourse, and to pop-cultural surroundings. Sada Tanagara is a photographer, poet and screenwriter. He has shown at the International Center of Photography in NYC, the International Biennial of Photography Tenerife, Spain, and the Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Dakar, Senegal. Roghie Asgari Torvund has gained much credit and respect for her ability to communicate to a wide audience through her video works and performances in exhibitions both at home and abroad. She has received grants awarded by the Norwegian Visual Artists Association and Arts Council Norway.
Directions	.NO is located at 251 East Houston Street, between Norfolk and Suffolk Streets. The closest subway stop is Second Avenue – Lower East Side on the F-train. Gallery hours are Tuesdays to Fridays 12 pm – 6 pm, and Saturday and Sundays 1 pm – 6 pm. Press viewings can be arranged prior to the exhibitions. For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact the gallery manager at (646) 431-2663 or mail@no-in-nyc.org
Link	http://no-in-nyc.org/
Image

Feb 3, 2012

Pia MYrvoLD: FLOW

Mar 9, 2012

COMMONALITIES @ .NO Gallery

Apr 6, 2012

Constructed Site

May 11, 2012

International Women's Fine Art Photography

Jun 1, 2012

POWER GAMES: Peter Fend & Morten Traavik

Jul 11, 2012

And the World Cracked Open

Sep 5, 2012

I Thought We Were The Same Person

Oct 5, 2012

INTERNATIONAL JURIED SHOW

Nov 2, 2012

C YA!

Nov 22, 2012

Thanks Give It (to Me Baby)

Nov 24, 2012

Thanks-Living

X
Event	Thanks-Living
When	Nov 24, 2012 8:00 PM — 1:00 AM
Where	NOoSPHERE ARTS, 251 EAST HOUSTON STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10002 TEL. +1 (646) 389-8229 – PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE REGULAR OPENING HOURS IN NOVEMBER! E-MAIL US: MAIL@NO-IN-NYC.ORG
Description	Artist-in-Residence Michael Alan Alien: While recovering from major spinal injury sustained during a performance, the NYC artist was hit by a car. Out of commission with a broken back and serious concussion, he lost his painting studio, then had parts of his home in Staten Island washed away by Sandy. Still in post-op mode, he has found temporary refuge at NOoSPHERE, which is now serving as Alan’s production site in the run-up to this next installment of his ongoing Living Installation project. Until the 24th, the artist in action will be on live display through our storefront window at night, creating in public view stage sets and props for the upcoming show against a backdrop of projections of previous performances. Every night, something new will be added to the space - the countdown is on! And then BOOM...come the 24th.....show time! In Alan’s own words: “THANKS-LIVING–The Living Installation is rolling on a wave of positive energy from the N.Y.C Healing Show at ABC No Rio this past weekend, and is coming right back to the heart of the city with a brand new show that will take proactive art action to address the energy drain we are all feeling right now and combat it with pure creation. Thanks-Living will explore the natural cycles of life energy – birth, strength, decay – and bring about physical, creative and spiritual growth through chaotic and fun transformations. This will be a celebration of living and of letting go; a thanks for living and a show of love for those who are not here. Characters will start out made of flesh, all raw; throughout the course of five hours they will be built out into the space and follow the cycle of life. New York City is in a strange state of crisis. Battered by disaster and extreme change, we have learned that our strength is in our creativity and our community. Come join us in a celebration of thanks for our greatest gift, the life force that burns within us. This is neither a play nor a gallery show, this is an experience – come be a part, watch, draw, write, be at peace.” Performers: Michael Alan Alien, Sol Kjøk, Desiree Cadman Mendoza, Genevieve Snow, Rick Herron, Anna Christina Lorenzen Pre-recorded music collaborations/remixes with Ariel Pink, Meredith Monk, Geneva Jacuzzi, Japanther, Jello Biafra, The Krays, Japanther, Odd Nosdam, Vas Deferens Organization, R. Stevie Moore, Tim ‘Love’ Lee, Kenny Scharf, Jeff and Jane Hudson, 3 Teens Kill 4, Mr. Suburbia, Maripol and so many more With generous help from Ken Pastore, Fernanda Alvarez, David Modello, Print-Mor. Photos by Joseph Meloy Cover Charge $20. Tickets can be purchased at the door or preordered here: http://www.michaelalanart.com/art/upcoming-projects/ PLEASE BRING SOME CANNED GOODS, as the event is also a food drive to help those in need in Staten Island! * "Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich." Sarah Bernhardt
Link	http://www.no-in-nyc.org/
Image

Dec 1, 2012

Neverending Story

Feb 4, 2013

A HOUSE FULL OF FRIENDS: Anniversary Shows and Benefit Auction

Feb 9, 2013

EAT with Kurt Johannessen

Mar 1, 2013

I Am My World, Curated by David Gibson

Apr 5, 2013

C YA!

X
Event	C YA!
When	Apr 5, 2013 6:00 PM — Apr 5, 2013 8:00 PM
Where	NOoSPHERE Arts
Description	C YA! Ingrid Berven & Lillian Presthus @ NOoSPHERE Arts in NYC, Apr 5 - 28, 2013 Opening Reception: Fri Apr 5, 6-8pm New York, NY, Feb 21: NOoSPHERE Arts, an artist‐run, nonprofit exhibition and performance venue on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, is pleased to present once again the show that was initially washed away by Hurricane Sandy in November of last year: C YA!, featuring visual artists Ingrid W. Berven and Lillian Presthus. Curated by Bjørn Inge Follevåg, Director of Kabuso Art Museum. This exhibition is the first in a series of collaboration projects between the two artists scheduled throughout the next two years. C YA ! – short for see you – is not only a parting comment but also recognition of having been noticed by someone. On the other hand it may symbolize an outside observer looking at the world, but not sharing in it. Contrary to in everyday speech, where intuition helps you make the right choice through seemingly no effort on your own, the term intuition in phenomenology refers to immediate recognition. The intuitive body is a conscious body, and the sum of our personal history; a subject awareness of its environment reaching out to other subjects recognizing them as similar. The observation of such phenomena and how they appear to us as spectators are key elements in the selection of work for this exhibition. Berven/Presthus allow us to share in what they have observed, leaving us to analyze, consider, accept or reject their observations. In her deconstruction and transformation project, Lillian Presthus started shredding her old paintings into thin strips before weaving them together as new work. Meticulously, she tore up years’ worth of family portraits, then reassembled the pieces to re‐stitch the remains with methodical precision and dogged efforts. The result is a whole new series of work where slices of life can be glimpsed in‐between the interwoven strips of canvas. The original themes vanished. Through a painful process, what used to be cohesive works speaking of identity and remembrance became fragments of narratives and shards of identity.. Ingrid W. Berven questions authority and the art world. In her videos, she becomes an outside observer of a system that defines art on her behalf. She comments on the power structures of the art world; the curators, market mechanisms and issues of integrity. In her videos, through the lens of her camera and in her installations, the artist casts herself as the spectator. Her comments on the heavy hand of the market are highly relevant. Berven also works with themes of identity and belonging. She offers insights into the world we live in; our consumerism, lifestyle, shallowness and greed. Acute observations of life, Berven’s pieces make us reflect on the systems of which we all are part. ________ Ingrid W. Berven (Norway) trained as a visual artist at Bergen National Academy of Arts in Bergen and in Helsinki, and also attended the Grieg Academy for Music. One of Norway’s most respected new media artists with a strong social and political voice, she has completed a series of commissions and shown widely in her native country and abroad. She has also served as a curator and stage designer for theater troupes, and was the initiator of the artist‐run gallery BY THE WAY – Gallery of Contemporary Art, Bergen. (www.berven.no) Lillian Presthus (Norway) studied fine art in Norway and Finland. A visual artist who is influenced by textile tradition, she is primarily known for her paintings of domestic scenarios. Identity and family relations are recurring themes. A recipient of several grants, Presthus has shown extensively in the Scandinavian countries, received several public commissions, and is represented in the collection of Art Council Norway. (www.lillianpresthus.com)
Directions	251 East Houston Street, between Norfolk & Suffolk Streets. The closest subway stop Second Avenue – Lower East Side on the F-train.
Image

May 16, 2013

A Fly on the Wall