Payrus
The Art Project in the Library at Gvarv School, Part Two
Collaboration with Vigdis Fjellheim
Laser-cut MDF panels with acrylic paint
Permanent Art Installation in School Library, 2022
Painted MDF, approx. 3 x 4 meters
Papyrus is an artwork installed on the feature wall of the school library, yet it maintains a close conceptual and visual connection to Akantus – an earlier project from 2020/2021 located along the corridor walls between classrooms.
While Akantus explored the ornamental and cultural legacy of the acanthus plant, Papyrus takes the papyrus plant as its central motif. This choice draws on both historical and symbolic dimensions: papyrus is not only the source of the word paper, but also the etymological root of terms like library, bible, and bibliography. Its role as a carrier of knowledge since ancient Egypt makes it a fitting symbol for a contemporary learning space.
The plant itself, native to the Nile and growing up to four meters tall, was used as a writing surface over 6,000 years ago. In this installation, it represents both the origins of written culture and a broader reflection on orientation, memory, and the transmission of ideas.
The artwork consists of painted shapes on cut MDF panels, forming a composition that is loosely symmetrical yet intentionally irregular. Inspired by Norwegian folk craft elements such as traditional embroidery and jewelry, the composition creates two intersecting axes – horizontal and vertical – evoking directions, movement, and spatial orientation.
Situated at the heart of the building, Papyrus serves as both a visual anchor and a symbolic guidepost – a place where students can pause, reflect, and reorient themselves in both physical and intellectual space.