Exhibition
HOUSE OF NORWAY
11 October 2019 – 26 January 2020
With HOUSE OF NORWAY the Museum Angewandte Kunst devoted its entire exhibition space to Norway, Frankfurt Book Fair’s guest of honour 2019. The exhibition HOUSE OF NORWAY brought together works of art, design, craftsmanship and architecture in order to create special constellations that surprised and proposed a new way of seeing.
It can be read like a journey of a special kind: with first-time and recurring encounters, moments of astonishment and contemplation. With new discoveries where what has already been seen seems familiar. A journey through a country characterised by different landscapes, climates and population densities: the South and West of Norway, with its coastal areas, lakes and forests, is distinctly different from the snow tundra of the Finnmark in the North or the Arctic climes in the Northeast; life in Oslo and the other few large cities is different from that in the rural areas. Accordingly, it is not only the realities of people’s lives in the respective places that differ, but also the inspirations for their artistic and creative work. And so the existence of an Indigenous ethnic group whose cultural area, Sápmi, stretches across Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia, offers artists and designers other themes than the landscapes in the Telemark, which are determined by deep valley incisions and dark forests – which in turn lead to other forms of expression and meanings attributed to the works.
The open thematic presentation united works by contemporary artists such as Frank Ekeberg, Kari Steihaug, and Ingrid Torvund with drawings and accompanying lyrical prose texts by the world-famous artist Edvard Munch on loan from the Munchmuseet in Oslo. A guest performance by the Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš as well as artworks by Jørn Are Keskitalo, Britta Marakatt-Labba or Máret Ánne Sara and others gave insights into today’s Sámi art and culture. Visitors would also encounter important designers, among them Regine Juhls, Torbjørn Kvasbø, Peter Opsvik, Grete Prytz Kittelsen and Tone Vigeland. Examples of modern architecture, like that of Sverre Fehn or Joar Nango, and the area of social design as well as latest trends in fashion and new Nordic cuisine represent the creative exploration of a world in transition.
In addition to 47 artistic and creative positions, the exhibition presented short films from Norway. With their themes, the selection of films, curated by Sabine Schirdewahn, made imaginable the individual reflections of the artists and designers in their relationship to the objective social, ecological and economic conditions that might have accompanied the creation of their works.
Visitors would also encounter important designers, among them Regine Juhls, Torbjørn Kvasbø, Peter Opsvik, Grete Prytz Kittelsen and Tone Vigeland. Examples of modern architecture, like that of Sverre Fehn or Joar Nango, and the area of social design as well as latest trends in fashion and new Nordic cuisine represented the creative exploration of a world in transition.
A multi-faceted accompanying programme with lectures, panel discussions, culinary events and an educational programme consisting of workshops and public guided tours for adults, children and teenagers, rounded off the exhibition program. The educational program was supported by the Stiftung Polytechnische Gesellschaft in Frankfurt/Main.
House of Norway was part of Norway’s Guest of Honour appearance at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2019. The Guest of Honour project was organised by NORLA, Norwegian Literature Abroad on behalf of the Norwegian Government and the Norwegian book industry. It was sponsored by the furniture manufacturer Vestre. It was developed in cooperation with the Munchmuseet (Oslo), the Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum (Tromsø), Norwegian Crafts, the Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš (Kautokeino), the Sámi University College (Kautokeino), the Sámi Center for Contemporary Art (Karasjok), the Riddo Duottar Museat (Karasjok), the Kunstnerforbundet (Oslo), the Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum (Trondheim) and many further institutions. The educational programme for the exhibition HOUSE OF NORWAY was sponsored by the Stiftung Polytechnische Gesellschaft in Frankfurt/Main.
The Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš (SNTB) celebrated the German premiere of JOHAN TURI at the Museum Angewandte Kunst
In the context of the exhibition HOUSE OF NORWAY that celebrates the diversity of Norwegian art and culture, the Museum Angewandte Kunst was pleased to host the Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš (SNTB). Between October and November they were presenting their dramatic production JOHAN TURI performed in the Northern Sámi language with German and English subtitles. The stage drama celebrated its World Premiere in Oslo in 2017 and was performed outside of Norway for the first time.
HOUSE OF NORWAY was part of Norway’s Guest of Honour appearance at the Frankfurt book Fair 2019. The Guest of Honour project was organised by NORLA, Norwegian Literature Abroad on behalf of the Norwegian Government and the Norwegian book industry.
As part of
Made possible by
Supported by
Hotel partner
The educational programme was sponsored by