Greetings from… part I og part II
January 27 – February 11, 2006, Halden Kunstforening
May 31 – June 1, 2006, Oslo Kunstforening
Collaboration with Vigdis Fjellheim
This work in two parts was our contribution to the group and traveling exhibition Reiseblikk, curated by Anne Szefer Karlsen. Greetings from consisted of two site-specific installations tailored to the locations and formats of Halden and Oslo Art Associations, executed as large murals straddling the boundary between painting and installation. We approached the travel issue by focusing on charter tourism, centered on ideas, generalizations, and prejudices about the prototypical tourist. The focus was on the recognizable and universal nature of being a Western tourist, where everyone returns home with the same souvenirs and photographs.
Although the juxtaposition and processing of our collected material was our interpretation, our interest lay in the collective travel memories. Classic images from “Syden” formed the basis for the motifs in the murals
These interacted with various objects such as souvenirs, decorative dolls, spinning plants, coconut spots, vinyl tablecloths, African suitcases, and Christmas lights. The works were also accompanied by Ramb-ooh’s specially composed soundtrack Palma de Mallorca.
The temporary works consisted of, among other things, an eleven-meter mural, pedestals with souvenirs that cast false skylines, as well as photo albums with images of travel accessories placed in various spots in Østfold.
In the Oslo Art Association, the work developed further with a larger and more complex mural in several layers. Additionally, the installation included a sculpture made of taped-together souvenirs transformed into the ultimate tourist monument, as well as tightly bound groupings of decorative dolls with accompanying guides. At the opening, we created a photo opportunity scene with a specific portion of the exhibition as the backdrop. Here, the audience could take their photo after selecting a prop (a ukulele, a grass skirt, a sombrero hat, etc.). The images were printed on-site, so people could take home their photo as their own souvenir from the exhibition.
