Torsdag 22 september åpner utstillingen "Sirkulære tanker, abstrakte former" av arkitekt Jenny Ueland, og landskapsarkitekt, og en av gründerne bak gallerikonseptet Sorgenfri, Vaar Bothner.
“Vi ble kjent gjennom en felles interesse for bærekraftig materialbruk, og har det siste halvåret jobbet med å utforske gjenbruk av byggematerialer, og oppsirkulere disse gjennom kunst.”
Utstillingen vil bestå av skulpturelle objekter, skapt med utgangspunkt i materialer samlet fra byggeplasser i Oslo-området. Betong, marmor og flis vil være gjennomgående materialer.
Utstillingen har åpning i Sorgenfri (Sorgenfrigata 16) torsdag 22 september kl 17 og står frem til 9 oktober.
Se også nedenfor et presseskriv av arrangementet.
Press Release, 09/09/22 - OsloSORGENFRI is proud to present the duo exhibition, "Sirkulære tanker, abstrakte former", by Jenny
Ueland and Vaar Bothner.
Ueland and Bothner aims to explore and convey the possibilities that lie in the upcycling of building materials through art. In this way, they want to increase knowledge, awareness and commitment to a more sustainable use of resources in the construction industry.
Sculptural objects and structures built up of various recycled building materials will showcase new forms and associations, and at the same time convey the origin of the materials being used - coming from a construction site in Oslo. Through sculptural objects they aim to find beauty in materials that most people would consider a waste product, all the while exploring our understanding of art. Further asking the question - how and when does an object become art?
‘The sculptural objects will not only consist of waste materials, but also be given their shapes based on the materials available at the construction sites. In this way, the objects will display what is possible to achieve with materials that many otherwise consider to be rubbish.’ – Jenny Ueland
Both artists, having worked as architects for several years, have a great commitment to a more sustainable use of materials in the construction industry. Through this project they seek to convey this knowledge by exploring the boundary between sculptural objects, space and landscapes. The audience will be invited to move between and around the objects, to constantly discover new aspects of them. In this way, they wish to capture the visitor's attention and commitment, and pass on the object's history as a building material, and the opportunities that lie in reusing this resource for the future.
"Sirkulære tanker, abstrakte former" will present six installations that will include a single, or several objects combined. By creating peculiar shapes and associations out of broken tiles, cracked concrete or used wood put together in new ways, the installations will reveal a process of exploration and close collaboration between the two artists. Concrete, marble and tiles will be common materials.
This is Ueland and Bothner ́s first exhibition together. Jenny Ueland is an Oslo-based artist and architect who works with wood as a medium. Her artistry springs from her background as an architect and sustainability specialist. She combines modern machines with traditional craftsmanship to process wood in different ways. Through tactile reliefs in wood that emphasize building structures and landscapes, she explores the significance of built space vs natural space and the viewer's belonging and connections to a place through these factors. Ueland works in the realm between art and architecture, and wants to challenge how to define this divide through her work. Currently she is working with art integrated in architecture, creating a tactile wooden hand railing for children with sight disabilities in a Center for handicapped children.
Vaar Bothner has a background within landscape architecture, and is one of the founders of Sorgenfri. With a great commitment to sustainable development in her field, she works with topics related to this through several platforms, both as a performing landscape architect, as a writer, and as project manager and curator at Sorgenfri. In 2021 Bothner was nominated to “Årets ledestjerne” by Dagens Næringsliv for her work. She has participated in a number of group exhibitions, this is her first duo show.
SORGENFRI, after the street name Sorgenfrigaten meaning the ‘free of sorrows street’, is situated close to Majorstuen in Oslo city center. The space occupies 90 sqm. spread over different sections on the ground floor and basement of a late 17th-century building. Founders Ingrid Bredholt and Vaar Bothner have renovated the space retaining most parts of the original interior. The rest is improvised with interventions to give the space a contemporary edge; working with local and specialized craftsmen. Raw, concrete walls combined with pink Norwegian marble structures cover the ground floor. Minimalistic woodwork and a three-layered ceiling embodying the outlines of the space. The basement is a juxtaposition of carved out caves in the original foundation and smooth metallic walls with clean edges combined with tailored, movable interior.
The Space inhabits its own coffee shop and wine bar, and soon a new concept store showcasing Norwegian crafts and design.