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NOBA Nordic Baltic contemporary art platform

Even in the midst of the cold, long winter months there is still a lot to experience in Oslo art scene. A deep dive into Dada at the Henie Onstad Art Centre, a drawing triennial at Kunstnernes Hus and an exhibit of beautiful, fragile porcelain installations at the Vigelandsmuseum are just some of the things you can experience in Oslo at the moment. Even in these hectic, busy days leading up to Christmas one should set aside time for visiting the following five exhibitions.

 

 

The Great Monster Dada Show at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (October 25th, 2019 – January 26th, 2020)

The Great Monster Dada Show at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (Hannah Höch. Lustige Person, 1932, Photo: Øystein Thorvaldsen / Henie Onstad Kunstsenter)

Loved by critics, this is definitely one of the big exhibitions you do not want to miss this season. The Great Monster Dada Show at Henie Onstad offers a deep dive into the art movement of Dadaism. The Henie Onstad Art Centre has brought out all the stunts and constructed a fascinating and copious exhibition that offers a refreshing and new look at this multifaceted art movement. Dada was an important and ground breaking movement, yet in Norway there has never before been such an extensive collection of Dada as in The Great Monster Dada Show. The exhibition is curated by Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in collaboration with Sparebankstiftelsen DnB.

The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the first international Dada fair that took place in Berlin in 1920. With this exhibition Henie Onstad is marking the anniversary of this event in a big way.

The exhibition presents more than 200 works by 43 different artists and is comprised of everything from collages, sculpture, photo and drawings to painting, film and sound. There is definitely an impressive collection of works that include well known names such as Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Hannah Höch, Man Ray, Kurt Schwitters and Sophie Taeuber-Arp.

 

Rhapsody & Still Life by Lin Wang at the Vigelandsmuseum (October 11th, 2019 – January 19th, 2020)


Rhapsody by Lin Wang at the VigelandMuseum (Photo by Verena Winkelmann)

At the well established Vigelandsmuseum in Oslo visitors can get the chance to experience Lin Wangs´ site specific porcelain installations in interaction with the monumental sculptures of Gustav Vigeland. Vigeland (1869-1943) is Norway’s most famous sculptor, known for his outstanding sculptures of the human form. Wang´s delicate contemporary work, in combination with the immense sculptures of Gustav Vigeland offers a very interesting dialogue. Wang is a visual artist who primarily works with porcelain installations and performance.

The exhibition is comprised by two major installations, Rhapsody and Still Life. Rhapsody is a large-scale work comprised of over 20 000 small, round pieces of hand painted porcelain. Together these pieces make up a massive, sculptural installation. The exhibition´s second work, Still Life, is also a porcelain installation, but with a slightly different and less abstract expression. With this installation Wang seems to be tapping into our desire for nostalgia. She approaches well known shapes and figures and combines them in a new and fascinating way. The exhibition is, in its subtle complexity, a sensory delight – both beautiful and soft in its expression. Allow yourself to get lost in Wang´s delicate room for contemplation. 

 

Tegnetriennalen at Kunstnernes Hus (November 9th, 2019 – January 19th, 2020)

The Drawing Triennial of 2019, Human Touch is a collaboration between Tegnerforbundet and Kunstnernes Hus in Oslo. Tegnerforbundet (The Norwegian Drawing Association) is an artist-run centre for drawing-based art. This year’s triennial is a big group exhibition curated by freelance curator Helga-Marie Nordby. In this exhibition we are presented with 35 different artists´ approaches to drawing as basic means for human expression.

With this exhibition Kunstnernes Hus and Tegnerforbudet are proposing a way of looking at drawing as a means to express and understand human emotions. Human Touch offers suggestions on how we can approach an understanding of drawing not only as an artistic practice, but also as language in itself. With this focus the triennial also makes the connections to prehistoric expressions, where drawing was one of the primary forms of human communication.

The Drawing Triennial of 2019 is filled with works that through drawing investigate the multifaceted ways which we use to interact and express ourselves. With this triennial, The Norwegian Drawing Association wishes to start a conversation on how drawing can be used as a tool for better understanding of the world, as well as ourselves.

 

Folds of the present at QB Gallery (November 29th, 2019 – December 21th, 2019)

At the popular contemporary gallery QB you can indulge the senses with the new group exhibition Folds of The Present. The exhibition offers works from contemporary artists such as Fredrik Berberg, Marianne Brekke, Ole Martin Lund Bø, Ellen Grieg and André Tehrani. The QB Gallery is a project based gallery for contemporary art in Oslo, and works both with up and coming new Norwegian artist, as well as more established contemporary artists.

The newly opened exhibition is, in its simplicity, a pleasure for the senses. Both in its delicate palette, and on occasion incredibly tactile surfaces. Fredrik Berberg´s fun and quirky sculptures, in combination with the soft and subtle paintings of Marianne Brekke and André Tehrani are both in contrast, but also complement each other nicely. As do the minimalistic canvases of Ole Martin Lund Bø and the tangible textile works of Ellen Grieg. The combination and interaction of all of these elements makes up an inviting and pleasurable experience at the QB Gallery.

Folds of the present at QB Gallery (Photo:QB Gallery / Istvan Virag)

Christmas exhibition, Nå er det jul igjen, at Kunstnerforbundet (November 30th, 2019 – December 22nd, 2019)

For the 105th time Kunstnerforbundet (The Artist Society) is organizing the annual Christmas exhibition at their established venues in the heart of Oslo. The exhibition, Nå er det jul igjen is a big group presentation comprised of a vast collection of different media and expressions. Ever since it first opened in 1910 the Christmas exhibition has traditionally been a place for art and conversations surrounding the field. In this exhibition a wide selection of categories and genres are represented, and you will find established artists side by side with the newcomers.

With Christmas rapidly approaching you can also get the chance to find some Christmas gifts, both for yourself and others. The exhibition Nå er det jul igjen is comprised by both drawings, jewellery, textiles, painting, sculpture, photography, and so much more. There is something here for everyone.

The annual Christmas exhibition at Kunstnerforbundet (Photo: Kunstnerforbundet)