Christian Houge is invited to participate in the exhibiton AntArctica at Haugar Vestfold Art Museum. AntArctica is Haugar’s contribution to “Protection of Cultural Heritage Year”, and focuses upon a number of Norwegian and international artists whose work relates to the serious effects of climate change in today’s world. Many of the participants have spent time aboard research ships on Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. There they have experienced the melting of the Polar Ice at first hand, and have reflected upon the worrying prognosis for the future, and the warnings articulated by climate researchers. Welcome to the opening at 14:00 saturday 12. September 2009.
Some of the artists have based their work on the dramatic changes in our climate that are so visible in the Polar regions, whilst others have chosen to work with complex installations that focus upon issues such as energy and the conservation of global resources. There are also sublime landscapes from Svalbard – the synthesis of technology and nature resulting in a cosmic dimension. Some of the artists take a critical stance towards Polar expeditions and their history, bringing in aspects of national identity, gender and culture, whilst others take a biographical approach to Antarctica. The work in the exhibition is wide-ranging – it explores ideas of dystopia as well as the natural sciences – there is work that is clearly critical of today’s society, documentary work, poetic work and multi-facetted work.
Some of the artists have incorporated historical, archival material into their installations, drawing lines backwards in time to the “first Norwegian oil adventure” that began with the early whaling expeditions to Antarctica. This has been made possible through collaboration with The Norwegian National Library, The Museum of Whaling in Sandefjord, and Slottsfjell Museum in Tønsberg. This historical dimension creates a timeline that highlights the historical importance Antarctica has had for the local community in Vestfold, as well as today’s climate change aspect. The geological dimension, as well as the crossover points between art, technology and research, are apparent in TIMELINE by the British artist Charlie Hooker. The bored segment from Svalbard shows the changing climate over the course of 30.000 years.
AntArctica is curated by Tone Lyngstad Nyaas at Haugar, and will be shown on both floors of the museum. The exhibition has received funding from Anders Jahres Humanitære Stiftelse, The Goethe Institute in Oslo, and Fritt Ord.
Participating artists: Lucy and Jorge Orta (UK), Sonja Braas (D), SpringerParker (D), Charlie Hooker (UK), Christian Houge, AK Dolven, Inghild Karlsen, Thora Balke Dolven, Eirin Støen, Geir Tore Holm, Svein Flygari Johansen and Kristin Tårnesvik (N). (www.haugar.com)
