Yukkaland and Other Stories

Haugar Kunstmuseum, Tønsberg, November 21 – January 31, 2010

Collaboration with Vigdis Fjellheim

The work at Haugar Kunstmuseum during the exhibition Exit Vestfold is the fifth project in our collaborative journey. In the installation Yukkaland and Other Stories, we addressed exoticism and exotic symbols that have over time become part of our everyday life and Nordic identity. By giving these symbols new uses and using exaggeration and humor, we highlight what is foreign in the ordinary. We approach the issues of collecting, mapping, quantity, collective memories, universality, recognition, symbols, repetitions, and exaggerations from an anthropological and associative perspective. The theme and formal language evolve with each step of the collaboration and for each piece exhibited.
With a wealth of collected material and ideas, we allowed wall and floor paintings and object installations to grow together in the exhibition space during the days before the opening. The spontaneity and playfulness generated by the time pressure influenced the process and collaboration. We employ various methods that challenge the collaboration, including erasing the ownership of the paintings. The work with the installation is a puzzle with an unknown outcome, where the pieces are broken down and rebuilt into new constellations, and the result can be experienced as a three-dimensional painting that one can step into.