Press release

Published: 26 July 2024

Trio exhibition opens on Saturday 10 August at 14.00
- painting, charcoal drawing and sculpture

VILDE ESKEDAL, SOLFRID ELISE LINDBLOM & AASA SKJELDAL GRAVDAHL

Art Gallery Linn is proud to present the exhibition Fungal Gaze
Eskedal, Lindblom and Gravdahl are three exciting and up-and-coming artists who live and work in Kristiansand. In addition to the trio exhibition at Art Gallery Linn, all three artists are current with works at Sørlandsutstillingen, which opens in Arendal Kunstforening on Saturday 3 August. Solfrid Lindblom will also open a solo exhibition at Galleri Haavik in Skippergata on Saturday 10 August at 12.00.

The fungus is one of the oldest organisms on Earth, an often overlooked organism that helps make life on our planet possible. The exhibition Fungal Gaze invites us to look through a new perspective, a gaze that does not belong to us. The exhibition explores the human-centric perspective and how we objectify nature, and the inherent value we attribute to man-made objects. By attempting to step into the gaze of the mushroom, we can enter a world where the boundary between the human and the non-human is blurred, revealing intricate and intertwined weaves in the intervening areas where transformation and new perspectives arise. The artists balance between the figurative and the abstract, where the agency of the materials plays a significant role in the various processes.

Is it even possible to see the world from a new perspective? Who are we to decide what those perspectives are – and is it really in an art exhibition that we should start questioning the value we attach to man-made objects?

Solfrid Elise Lindblom's (b. 1998) intricate charcoal drawings invite us to appreciate the complexity and elegance of mushrooms. The works take a closer look at what is often dismissed, the forest floor and its complex symbiosis of microorganisms, and the sophisticated stories and perspectives of fungi. Lindblom's work evokes the space between the known and the unknown, encouraging us to look beyond our usual perceptions of our surroundings. Lindblom was born in Stavanger and grew up in Tvedestrand. She has a bachelor's degree in contemporary art from the Academy of Fine Arts in Tromsø. She is currently a board member of local branch of the Norwegian Artist organisation - NBK-Agder.

Aasa Skjeldal Gravdahl (b. 1984) shapes clay into organic, almost otherworldly shapes that challenge our perceptions of both fungi and ceramics. The works are not just sculptures; They are tactile sensations that evoke the clay and the many textures and shapes of the mushroom. In Skjeldal Gravdahl's work, one can also see the resilience and adaptability of fungi, which thrive in environments ranging from the forest floor to forgotten corners of urban landscapes – inviting us to explore the space between the natural world and our bodies. Gravdahl was born in Bryne in Jæren and has lived and worked in Kristiansand for the past 23 years. She has a bachelor's degree in material-based art from the National Academy of the Arts, with a specialization in ceramics. Gravdahl has exhibited his works in many group exhibitions in Norway, including at Grenland Kunsthall.

Vilde Eskedal (b. 1992) combines materials and techniques on canvas, exploring the symbiotic relationship between fungi and their surroundings. The works combine man-made and organic materials and can point to intertwining between living and non-living things where life and decay intersect. In Eskedal's work, one can reflect on the degradation of plastic in nature and how it has now become part of our age and our body. Eskedal was born in Tromsø and grew up in Kristiansand. She has a master's degree in fine arts from UiA/York St. John University. Eskedal is known as an active performance artist in the performance duo Blomlaok and the art collective SPEKTRA. She has participated in a large number of solo and group exhibitions and as a performance artist at festivals.

The artists are available for interviews at Art Gallery Linn on Friday 9 August at 12-14 and Saturday 10 June at 14.30-15.30.
Tel.: Eskedal 988 03 996, Lindblom 979 81 004, Gravdahl 926 86 030

Opening speech by Ole Magnus Skisland, Head of Department for Culture, Sports and Volunteering in Agder County Municipality.

The last day of viewing is 14 September 2024.  

PRESS CONTACT
Managing Director/Curator Anja Nilsen, tel. 477 18 166, art@online.no

Festningsgata 34 – Kristiansand
artgallerylinn.no