El Olvido está Lleno de Memorias
(The Forgetfulness is Full of Memories)
28.06.18 - 20.08.18
MARSO|Akershus Kunstsenter
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Javier Barrios
Hanne Friis
Camilla Skibrek
Anders Sletvold Moe
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“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.”
(Albert Einstein, Moral Decay 1937)
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In a time and age seemingly more defined by harsh categorisations and differentiating rather than the opposite, it seems logical to focus on shared traits – whether in people, nations or contemporary art for that matter. Humans and art are concepts often subject to such acts; yet they may just as easily elude categorisation by means of their multifaceted nature and shared traits.
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The exhibition El Olvido está lleno de Memoría presents works by Norwegian artists Javier Barrios, Hanne Friis, Anders Sletvold Moe and Camilla Skibrek. Recurrent in the pieces on display is an attentiveness towards materiality, and thoroughness in the meticulous processes that lie behind their works. Hours and hours of planning and working have been spent facilitating and making these unique artworks: Pieces of wood have been licked for four hours a day; cochenille lice have been collected and used to dye textiles; a number of shades of black have meticulously mixed and blended; and layer upon layer make up large-scale paintings.
There is also a somewhat sober and quiet presence about the pieces. Thus, it is tempting to say that they might represent something Scandinavian, a certain kind of austerity and coolness.
Another aspect recurrent in the exhibition is an exploration and questioning of history, cultural heritage, identity, time as a phenomenon and traces of human actions. The works on display deal with reciprocal impact among people, cultures and nature, albeit on different levels. Thus they open for questions about what influences nature have on people, and opposite; what traces do humans leave behind? How are people’s identities shaped by culture, and in what ways has history influenced individuals, societies and cultures? To what extent do we share the same traits and history – across borders and nation-states?
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The exhibition is curated by Rikke Komissar and Monica Holmen, Akershus Kunstsenter Norway.
Thanks to Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) for generous support.
“The Forgetfullness is Full of Memories” comes together as part of an ongoing collaboration between Akershus Kunstsenter and MARSO that began in 2016.
This marks the second show in MARSO’s non-profit program.
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