Hardanger
Kunst Senter
Newsletter 1
14 Februari 2009
This is
the first edition of our irregular newsletter.
In each issue we will have an interview with an artist or someone
working with art in Hardanger. We will also (in the next issues) introduce
one of the kommunes in Hardanger.
-Norwegian
version-
Contents:
-Introducing Hardanger Kunst Senter
-Kabuso (interview with the new director Heidi Ann Jaeger)
-Hardangerlokk and Kunstnarhuset Messen (by Vidar Skeie)
-Introduction Hardingpuls
-Program
Introducing Hardanger Kunst Senter
In Oktober of last year we opened our doors in Gamle Banken in Norheimsund (gateway
of Hardanger)
for a ‘sneak preview’, with an exhibition of Ruchama Noorda and
Brian D. McKenna’s: ‘Statistic monument for progress’. In
december we had a 'artmarket' and in January 2009 we officially opened our doors!
Hardanger Kunst Senter will be a central point in Hardanger for information
about art, art-institutions and artists in the region of Hardanger, Norway.
Like many rural areas in Norway Hardanger has seen a decline of the population
during recent years.
To counter this demographical movement there are plans to turn Hardanger into
a cultural center of Norway. Many projects are being put up, a studiocomplex
has just opened in Ålvik (Kunstnarhuset Messen) as a part of Hardangerlokk,
that will also have residencies, there are plans for an artschool and (foreign
and Norwegian) artists are moving to the area and of course there are already
a lot of artists living and working in Hardanger. We feel it is important to
have a physical space where people can follow this interesting process. Something
tangible where everyone can see how many things are going on. In doing so the
‘cultural revolution’ will become a lot more visible to the people.
For this purpose Hardanger Kunst Senter will put up an informationcenter where
one can find information about art and artists in Hardanger in one location.
By doing this we want to stimulate contacts and cooperation between artists
(locally and internationally). The informationpoint will also provide information
to artists in the region.
Apart from having a local function, we will also focus on promoting art from
Hardanger internationally by connecting to the artworld outside of Kvam and
Hardanger. (Young) People interested in art can learn more about the different
possibilities (such as education) and residencies that exist in Norway and abroad.
*Gallery/Projectspace:
With the same purpose of
connecting to the artworld (and to show experimental international art), we
want to put up a projectspace where we invite local and international artists
to exhibit. We want to set up a project space for young contemporary art. In
this space we want to organize lectures, video-art screenings and have exhibitions
by not yet established (but promising) young artists.
We will also show local artists in order to promote art from Hardanger, and
it will be exciting to have cooperation between artists from Hardanger and international
artists.
In our shop we will show and sell art and smaller art-objects, such as postcards
made by artists, artist-books etc.
*Workshops:
Hardanger Kunst Senter will also organise workshops for art-students;
Solla took part in a workshop in Iceland in Seydisfjordur (a region that has
to deal with similar problems of people moving away to the city like in the
Hardanger region), organised by Bjorn Roth, that takes place on a yearly basis.
Art-students from Sweden, Norway and Iceland attended this workshop. The students
live and work for 10 days in the town, talk to people and use the town and its
work-facilities like a workshop. The people in the town were very helpful and
enthousiastic and during the course there is a lot of interaction between the
art-students and the community. After the workshop an exhibition is held with
introductions about the works by the students. It is a great succes and most
people of the community come to the openings.
We want to organize a similar workshop in the area of Hardanger for art students
from Norway, the Nordic countries and Holland. In Hardanger the students could
work in the nature and use the facilities of the area (such as the Fartøyvernsenter,
the soundstudio in Ålvik and expertise/workshops of local artists (too
many to mention all here!). The communes in Hardanger could provide empty spaces
that will be used for housing and exhibitions during the workshops. Messen in
Ålvik for example could be a good place for that since all facilities
(cooking, sleeping) are already present there. This is a great way for people
in Hardanger to meet young artists and to be introduced to young art and will
make Hardanger more known in the (international) artworld. We
are currently planning a seminar (end of February) about art 'on the countryside'
and working on our schedule for 2009.
We are very interested in cooperating with artist/institutions etc. in Norway
and abroad, feel free to contact us.
Hardanger Kunst Senter
Erwin van der Werve
Thora Solveig Bergsteinsdottir
Kabuso,
interview with Heidi Ann Jaeger, Artistic director
-Art
in the countryside, what are the positive sides and negative of it? And in comparison
to art in the city/ies? What are the advantages of it in relation to city artscene?
Rural vs. /Urban.
The positive aspects of art in the countryside is how people are forced to see
art in a new way. We are used to going the city to experience art, but in the
countryside it is different, and thats great! Art should be everywhere, and
as we get more art in new places, the differentiation between fine culture and
popular culture will be equaled out, why are some art forms more accepted than
others by the hegemony?
The negative aspects art that it is hard to get large amounts of people to enjoy
the art in the countryside!
-How
do you see Hardanger as an artscene?
Hardanger, and especially Kvam, have put a lot of emphasis on art and I think
the population benefit from this. Hardanger has the most beautiful nature, sometimes
almost to beautiful! It's easy to sometimes become immune to the scenery, and
see it in new ways when artists interperate it!
-What
does it need to be interesting and attract interest/attention from the artworld?
That's a hard one! If someone knew the answer I don't think we would need artists
any more. It's always the balance between being talented and finding a niche
that is interesting for the time of the art.
-What do you think about Kabuso and its role in the
culture here?
I think Kabuso is an important priority, not just for Hardanger, but for Norway!
It´s great that the politicians dared to make such a commitment in rural
surroundings. I think the local population are proud of Kabuso, and especially
how young people get used to art being a part of every day, thats the best part
of it!
www.kabuso.no
Hardangerlokk
and Kunstnarhuset Messen by Vidar Skeie, director of Hardangerlokk
Hardangerlokk is an organisation for art and culture that will contribute to
activity in Hardanger in all different fields of art. The activity will consist
of art and culture on a high level of quality that will contribute to a raise
of the population, business activity and in general have a positive effect on
the region. Hardangerlokk is a cooperation of the 7 communes in Hardanger and
Move to Hardanger. Hardangerlokk is governed by a committee consisting of the
cultural heads of the different communes, Hardingpuls (2 representatives) and
Move to Hardanger.
Creative business will put the region on the forefront of the modern labourmarket
(in Norwegian; http://www.ukeavisenledelse.no/arbeidsliv/soker_kreative_sjeler).
About
Hardanger
Hardanger has in the Norwegian art-history a special place in the development
of the Norwegian identity during the National Romantic Period. This should continue
till the 200 year existence of Norway in 2014. Hardangerlokk should however
not ’close off’ the region and turn into itself. We should rather
make sure the local population will have new impulses and will have a reason
to be as proud of the art- and culturallife in Hardanger now as well as in the
past.
Hardangerlokk
has its office in Kunstnarhuset Messen in Ålvik together with Harding
Puls. Messen is an important place in Hardangerlokk and it’s a big building
which former function was an administration building for a big steel plant.
There is space for ten more artists to be working and living in the building.
At this moment there are already five artists who have their studio’s
in Messen. Members of Harding Puls will have a studio they could work in and
where they could keep up their (inter)national contacts. Artists can also apply
for a working period or a studio in Kunstnarhuset Messen, there will be fixed
dates for applying (through an applicationform). Together with Ole Mads Vevle
(executive manager) I hope to create a collective of artists and a good artistic
environment for artists in the building, the district, the local community of
Ålvik and the Hardanger region.
Plans
There will be funds available for visiting artists. Hardangerlokk will also
have 3 stipendia for people moving to Hardanger (each 50.000 NOK) and stipendia
for further research , 2 x 25.000,- and one of 50.000,- Furthermore Hardangerlokk
will have an appartment in Berlin (starting March 2009). Local artists could
develop there and make contacts. From 11 till 20th september Hardanger Open
will take place. As the name suggests there will be open studio’s. There
will also be concerts and literature happenings. We want to have as much activities
in that period as possible and call to art and culture institutions to apply.
The timeperiod chosen, the middle of september, isn’t coincidental; it’s
the time of the apple-harvest. It’s then possible to buy the apples directly
from the farmers, and the art straight from the artists. Hardanger Open will
have a profile on facebook.com.
Tuesday, March 10th a meeting will take place entitled: ”Dugnad i Hardanger”
in Ulvik and in the Brakanes conference center and on Wednesday, 18th of March
in Granvin and Mælandshagen. There will be gatherings in all the communities
of Hardanger. Hardangerlokk will present itself together with the 7 other projects
that are a part of Move to Hardanger. Hardangerlokk will present the Norwegian
musician Rannveig Djønne. She has gotten a lot of recognition in the
Norwegian press for her record ”Spelferd heim”. Come and hear about
Hardangerlokk and take a ”Spelferd heim” with you says Vidar Skeie,
the director of Hardangerlokk.
Introduction
Harding Puls
Artist forum Harding Puls
Harding Puls is Hardangers multidisciplinairy forum for visual artists, musicians,
craftsmen, actors, writers and creative people working in the field of culture.
What ties the artists together is the connection to Hardanger, either they live
and/or work in the region, or they have grown up here. The members work professionally
on many levels in the local, national and international art arena. Today (February
2009) our forum has 68 members. In addition there are 3 student members from
Hardanger and 8 associated members thet have lived in Hardanger temporarily.
Since the founding of Harding Puls in 1993 we have created a unique artscene
that goes across boundries of disciplines and across the fjord. The network
is an important factor contributing to a lively scene and inspiration. Many
members have worked together on a variety of projects. There have been several
exhibitions and concerts through the years. And we have organized workshops
for schoolkids on multiple occasions.
Exchanging of ideas between members or ideas from a single member form the basis
of our activities and realisation of our many different artprojects.
The members
of Harding Puls meet at a yearly basis to socialise, talk about their activities
and not at the last place, exchange ideas. In between these annual seminars
are the “KvilePuls”meetings.
We have
been invited by many different art-and cultural-institutions to organise exhibitions
and concerts, both here in the Hardanger-region as well as elsewhere in Norway
and abroad. We have had concerts and exhibitions in Ås, Bergen, Seattle,
New York, Korea to name a few of our activities outside of Hardanger.
The last
years we have seen a big increase in members. Many want to join our network,
and we are excited about that. At the moment we are working on a new catalogue
which will show the wide variety in the artscene connected to the Hardanger
region. Harding Puls is working together with Hardangerlokk and is looking forward
to more artists moving to Hardanger.
Solfrid Aksnes
-director of Harding Puls-
Hardanger
Kunst Senter - Program for the first half of 2009:
20th
of Februari, 18.00: Seminar about art outside the major
art-centers, what are the (im)possibilities, challenges and opportunities for
artists, curators and art-public.
Lecture by Aud Bækkelund (local artist), and Kristi Skintveit
(about her ideas for 'Hardanger excentrum'), Heidi Ann Jaeger (director of Kabuso),
discussions, coffee and soup.
Soup,
coffee and entrance: 30 kr.
March/April/Mai
2009th: group-exhibition of painters/installation artists
(details tba.).
Every
Friday and Saturday:
Gallery is open with postcards, art, t-shirts and small objects for sale.