Oseana Summer Exhibition “Sølvpust”

Music & culture

Apr 13

Who: Oseana

What: Art exhibition called “Sølvpust”

Where: Bergen

Project period: 2023

Web: Oseana

The exhibition SØLVPUST examines the relationship between visual universe building and the development of a national visual identity by Norwegian artists in the 1800s and early 1900s and how the legacy of these artists inspires contemporary artists today.

Romantic artists created a version of Norway that was both nostalgic, spectacular and idealised. With references to Norse myths, history and folklore, they created a vision Norwegians could recognise. Like their European colleagues, the Norwegian artists went out into "unspoiled culture", and found their subjects in secluded fjords and valleys.

The exhibition looks at modern expressions, both in contemporary art and illustration art in fantasy and games, which draw inspiration from romanticism and late romanticism. In the myths that are created and retold in fantasy, we again find many of the drivers of the romantic aesthetic. We encounter the sublime in both computer games and fantasy, where overwhelming landscapes and terrifying monsters lay the foundation for exaltation. According to Schopenhauer, the ability to experience the beauty of what overwhelms or frightes us – a quiet contemplation in the face of our fears – enables us to experience the sublime.

Participating artists:

Kiki Smith, Rina Charlott Lindgren, Vanna Bowles, Sverre Malling, Lars Elling, Kim Holm, Inga S. Søreide and Bjørn Båsen.

Older artists, among others:

Jon Bauer, Theodor Kittelsen, Louis Moe, Erik Werenskiold, Knut Bergslien, Peter Nicolai Arbo, Alf Rolfsen, Kjell Erik Killi Olsen, Peder Balke, Knud Baade, JC Dahl, Hans Gude, among others.

Oseana Art Festival 27–29 July 2023

During three days the last weekend of July, Oseana will host a festival for games, fantasy and art. The festival artists are Johannes Høie and Bjørn Båsen. The festival exhibition, running from 13 July, features Båsen’s large scale Saga Frieze and a monumental mural by Johannes Høie, together with tapestries by Ragna Breivik.

The festival includes discussions and workshops, presentations and adventures for all ages. The program is produced in collaboration with Spillhuset i Bergen.