Festspillutstilling 2024

Music & culture

Jun 19

Who: Bergen Kunsthall

What: An exhibition produced by Toril Johannessen

Where: Bergen

Project period: 2024

Web: Festspillutstilling 2024

About the organization

Bergen Kunsthall is a center for contemporary art and presents a program consisting of exhibitions, events, and educational activities. The organization was founded in 1838 as the Bergen Art Association. Today, Bergen Kunsthall is one of Europe's leading organizations for contemporary art and the largest and most dynamic art hall in Norway.

The organization's statutes define its purpose as promoting understanding and engagement for both national and international contemporary art. Bergen Kunsthall achieves this through active work with both local and international audiences, offering a busy and interdisciplinary program for a wide audience. Bergen Kunsthall supports artists by producing new works and contributes to art debates through dissemination and events. The program is realized in conjunction with a broad network of partners in Bergen and internationally. Art is presented in relation to larger questions that shape and inspire us as individuals and society. Over time, Bergen Kunsthall has established a clear voice on the international art scene and offers the public a unique opportunity to experience world-class art in Bergen.

About the project

Since 1953, the prestigious Festspillutstillingen has been a flagship for Norwegian contemporary art, and in 2024, the visual artist Toril Johannessen will produce an exhibition in collaboration with Bergen Kunsthall. Johannessen is based in Bergen, and we are proud to present her largest solo exhibition in Norway.

Johannessen is internationally recognized for her work and has participated in national and international biennials and prestigious exhibitions such as documenta 13 (2012) in Kassel, Munchmuseet in Motion (2018), and the Museum of Contemporary Art, National Museum (2016) in Oslo, as well as public art projects for Bergen City Hall (2022) and Evenes Air Station (2023).

For the exhibition, Johannessen plans a new series of works based on the artist's current research on military presence and the geopolitical situation in the Arctic region. As a local artist from Bergen, Johannessen will utilize local facilities and infrastructure in the production, including the communal workshop Aldea and Trykkeriet in Bergen. This is part of our goals for a more environmentally friendly, sustainable, and locally rooted production that can contribute to a vibrant local community