Earth, Wind, Fire, Water - Nordic Contemporary
Crafts is the 44th edition of the
exhibition series Tendenser(Tendencies) at Galleri F 15 in Moss,
Norway. For nearly fifty years, Tendenserhas been one of the leading platforms for contemporary craft in the Nordic
region. First presented in 1971 as an annual exhibition highlighting Norwegian
practitioners, Tendenser has since
expanded to a biennial format, incorporating trends from across the Nordic
countries.
This
year’s exhibition brings together
seventeen artists
and artist groups from the Nordic countries who uses their craft, their tools, and their deep
material knowledge to address pending environmental issues. Acknowledging the
powerful interdependence between
humankind and often overlooked materials and organisms, many of the presented
artworks
evoke the fragility and transiency of our earthly existence by way of
components that alter, dry up, or decay throughout the exhibition period. Others reflect
holistic ecological practices, implementing material collaborations to connect with the surrounding
environment, with a piece of land, or with the material itself. The artists featured in Earth, Wind, Fire, Water each explore the potential of materials
and the elements to co-author artistic works; to participate in and at times
control the process and outcome. Encompassing biology, geology, and cosmology, their practices confront a longing for a deeper connection to
the earth.
We live in a time
marked by enormous changes in technology and science, while the environmental
crisis has precipitated urgent discussions concerning our relationship to our
immediate material world. Nordic contemporary crafts are taking an active part
in this philosophical discourse, with a wide range of practices and a
diversity of approaches and expressions. The exhibition offers different
ways to think about, with, and through craft. Many of the craftspeople featured in
the 44th edition of Tendenseridentify with additional designations; designer, visual artist, art psychotherapist, photographer, storyteller, architect, gardener. They express their ideas through a
multiplicity of forms; from embroidery to photography, from ceramics to video,
from paintings to text, from sculptures in wood, stone, glass, and metal to
installations created with a wide range of organic and synthetic materials.
The exhibition fills both floors and reception area,
takes use of the F 15 Verksted with workshops you can participate in, and continues
with outdoor pieces in Reierstranda, and on the building’s façade. Additionally
we warmly welcome you to a 2-day craft theory seminar and publication launch on
2-3 June 2020 (NB! moved online due to the Covid-19 situation).
The exhibition is in collaboration
with the Nordic Network of Crafts Associations, and has received support from
the Nordic Cultural Fund and Nordic Culture Contact.
Alma Heikkilä, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (2020). Foto: Vegard Kleven © Galleri F 15