In the exhibition Losing Landscape, Dalmar has worked with the impact of Sitka spruce on the Norwegian landscape. Through fieldwork in logging areas along the coast of Western Norway and Mid-Norway, she has examined how the Norwegian cultural landscape has changed since small-scale and subsistence farming was phased out in the 1950s. Grassland was planted with fast-growing Sitka spruce, and the landscape changed both in appearance and character. When natural forests were transformed into so-called production forests, clear-cutting became a consequence.
The wood type, which within a few decades became a beloved national asset, symbolized progress and modernity. It created optimism among farmers on islands and along fjords. The planting was initially seen as an opportunity for transition and a much-needed source of timber and building materials. The long-term and unintended ecological effects have led many to reconsider their relationship with Sitka spruce. This form of forestry has altered the character of the landscape across large areas, damaged cultural heritage sites, blocked paths and access routes, and crowded out local vegetation.
How is it experienced by those who live in such areas when the forest around them is suddenly clear-cut? Architect Nordberg Schults introduced the concept of “loss of place” in relation to development and transformation in urban and rural areas. Dalmar is interested in how these sudden changes affect us. When places and forest environments we grew up with change overnight, our memories of these places also change—memories tied to nature’s forms, experiences, and physical appearance. Through photographic works, Dalmar shows the visual consequences in the landscape following the introduction of Sitka spruce. Using Sitka spruce sourced from a clear-cut area in Trøndelag, she explores the wood material itself in several sculptural works.
Line Anda Dalmar (b. 1983, Stavanger) is based in Trondheim and works across various materials and media, including photography, sculpture, sound, video and drawing. Her work is rooted in reflections on memory and the ways we experience, remember, and register the world around us. Dalmar works site-sensitively, and her projects usually originate from field studies. In recent years, she has exhibited at Rogaland Art Centre, Stavanger Art Museum, Preus Museum, RAM Galleri, Tegnerforbundet, Spriten Kunsthall, and the art associations of Trondheim, Kongsberg, and Levanger. Her work has been acquired by Preus Museum, and she has completed public art commissions for, among others, Sviland School and Stord Upper Secondary School. Dalmar holds a master’s degree from Konstfack in Stockholm and a bachelor’s degree from Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design (KMD) in Bergen.
The exhibition is supported by: Arts and Culture Norway, the Municipality of Trondheim, the Norwegian Visual Artists’ Remuneration Fund, the Relief Fund for Visual Artist, and the Norwegian Art Centres.
FORMAT
Format was founded in 1991 and is a leading gallery for contemporary crafts and design in Norway. The gallery is an exhibition and sales venue of the finest artistic quality within the material-based arts. The gallery aims to strengthen the position of Norwegian contemporary crafts and design internationally and through working with both established and emerging artists the gallery reflects the various tendencies in contemporary crafts and design today. The gallery’s goal is to challenge established norms while highlighting key values in the field by actively bringing a wider spectrum of artistic practices in material-based art to the fore.
FORMAT OPEN CALL 2027/2028
Format is a leading gallery for contemporary craft. The gallery presents professional, material-based artists. By exhibiting established artists and new talents side by side, the gallery reflects the various tendencies within contemporary craft today. Through exhibitions and outreach to a wide audience, Format works to increase knowledge and understanding of contemporary craft. The gallery aims to be a central and visible actor in the field, promoting the quality and diversity that contemporary craft represents. Format hosts six exhibition periods per year, featuring up to 18 different exhibitions. The gallery showcases the breadth of the field in relation to diverse materials, techniques, and forms of expression.
Submit your exhibition proposal—including concept, images, and bio—in a single PDF file (max 5 MB) to oslo@format.no. Remember to include a name in the PDF filename and mark the email subject line with “Open Call”.
The application deadline is January 9, 2026. Applications will be reviewed by a professional jury, and results will be communicated during March 2026.
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Saturday - Sunday 12 - 16
Closed during the Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and Summer Holidays (July)
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Format is accessible for disabled guests and wheelchair users. You can find a wheelchair access next door to the gallery in Kongens gate.
Contact
Format
Rådhusgaten 24 N-0151 Oslo
T +47 22 41 45 40
oslo@format.no