LOCUS is an artist run independent gallery space and a small publishing house.
As a nomadic and fluctuating entity we produce exhibitions and presents artists in various locations nationally and internationally. Based in Oslo at Grünerløkka Lufthavn, Locus has a studio / showroom and hosts various events. LOCUS, established in 2006 by Thale Fastvold and Tanja Thorjussen, both members of IKT - International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art, has recently exhibited in Stavanger, Miami, New York, St.Petersburg, Moscow, Bergen, Medellín and the 57 Venice Biennale.
Contact: Locuspost@gmail.com
As a nomadic and fluctuating entity we produce exhibitions and presents artists in various locations nationally and internationally. Based in Oslo at Grünerløkka Lufthavn, Locus has a studio / showroom and hosts various events. LOCUS, established in 2006 by Thale Fastvold and Tanja Thorjussen, both members of IKT - International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art, has recently exhibited in Stavanger, Miami, New York, St.Petersburg, Moscow, Bergen, Medellín and the 57 Venice Biennale.
Contact: Locuspost@gmail.com
Kvinner
Text by Zofia Cielatkowska
“Pink and a blue universe cross each other in particles like two swarms of bees and when a pair of different colored bees hit each other miracles happen”
The Hearing Trumpet, Leonora Carrington
The universe of the yellowish, dirty, dry soil is waiting for mundane miracles. The more reified the world becomes, the thicker the veil cast upon nature, and veil, in turn, claims ideologically to be nature[1].
(And the world forgets that culture is just a moment, just a while.)
When Anthropocene ends all magnificent examples of art-apocalyptic visions will turn into non-magnificent dust.
(The old palette of The Triumph of Death is quite relevant: red and yellow dominate sometimes moving into brownish tones, leaving green paint impossible to occur. The pink or blue remain in the realm of a dream.)
Less spectacular apocalypse is happening now: the planet is literally burning. No plants means no life. The equation is simple. Yet, at the same time, the everyday routine of habits and customs moves as usual, and things happening just in front of our eyes stay unnoticed. The history of culture knows that as well; this monotonous repetitiveness of the same facts and names leaving the whole spectrum of important voices in silence.
(His)tory masters repetitions keeping the position of power stable – the power of knowledge in particular
(Her)story masters repetitions with a difference; reading between the lines and finding each time new facts and names destabilizing the power
The project Kvinner - colorful risograph prints of the important women artists in history (each presented with an ordinary flower)[2] is connected with the previous Locus work – Bee Sanctuary Garden – a buffet for various pollinators. The link between the two is subtle and concentrates on the specific crossroad of culture and nature. The abuse of both relies on the similar mechanisms; thinking based on profit and power keeping the world conceal with a veil – reified and indifferent. The alternative proposed by Locus is thinking and acting in small gestures of care like paying attention to the forgotten stories or building a local garden helping insects to survive. And that is already a lot. The risograph prints – like the real flowers – are mostly joyfully bright. Colors denote and they are life. Contemporary miracles are mundane and ordinary, yet essential for the future.
[1] Theodor Adorno, Why still philosophy? (1963)
[2] Among others: Djuna Barnes, Leonora Carrington, Natalia Goncharova, Elena Guro, Dagny Juel, Hilma Af Klint.
Origin Of The Species
text by Tommy Olsson
sanctuary
ˈsaŋ(k)tjʊəri/
noun
1. 1.
refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution, or other danger.
"his sons took sanctuary in the church"
synonymer:
refuge, haven, harbour, port in a storm, oasis, shelter, retreat, bolt-hole, foxhole, hideout, hiding place, hideaway, den, asylum, safe house, fastness; More
2. 2.
a nature reserve.
"a bird sanctuary"
Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else to do, and perhaps after all it might tell her something worth hearing. For some minutes it puffed away without speaking, but at last it unfolded its arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said,
'So you think you're changed, do you?'
'I'm afraid I am, sir,' said Alice; 'I can't remember things as I used — and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!'
'Can't remember what things?' said the Caterpillar.
'Well, I've tried to say "How doth the little busy bee," but it all came different!' Alice replied in a very melancholy voice.
- Lewis Carroll, Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland
This text - the words, their meaning, the way I´m writing them, how they´re interpreted, what it´s all about, my hidden agenda and all that, and how it relates to the agenda of the thing itself, and how that´s not really a «thing» at all, but rather a sprawl, and a big one at that. All these things, and the places they may take you, or me. Reading between the lines never made more sense. You could, with some justification, say it´s by a long shot. I would argue - with, admittedly, considerably less to back up my point: that it´s always like that. But either way, you´ll eventually face the nightmarish web of cause and effect underneath the surface, by which this world does not function. And the nausea caused by realizing that all things obvious are the fruits of pure fiction, and that real connections lies elsewhere, usually out of reach, and usually with nothing to do with you, or your kind. But, then again; it all boils down to the way you look at it. First; it doesn´t really matter whether it is a long shot or not as long as it is shot and hits target. Could be a shot of Tequila. Could be a silver bullet for the werewolf. Could be a lot of different things. Now, to get to the point of all this; what if a lot of different things – ideas, points of view, discussions, instagram posts and printed matter, etc, etc – was to take as its jump off-point for further development, four hexagon shaped flowerpots on a street corner in Oslo? Eventually spreading, reaching various corners of the planet – like, say, for instance, San Francisco? Certainly, that´s a long shot, no? Not really. Or, at least not exceptionally long, because, as I would argue; it´s always like this, and the longer the shot the better. There´s a logic to this; gardening tends to become a tool for magic when applied by people with some form of art education. It´s true. Because it is one of those basic things; it is the very definition of knowledge. And we know how this goes; Knowledge is power, and power is pizza. However; knowledge is, of course, also a curse, and back in the day, many a witch found themselves at the mercy of those not only lacking the knowledge, but took it as evidence of satanic forces at work. Which is, pretty much, correct – because ignorance is bliss. Ignorance is bliss, and bliss is safety – safety, however, is not pizza. Nothing ever changes. Nothing ever stays quite the same.
So, as I was considering this flow – the prints, the tiny bottles of herbal mixtures, the notion of some people being «rare» - and along those thoughts, how to preserve knowledge in times when the majority not only rejects it, but rage against it. What this has done to this final age of politics, where facts are opinions, and opinions pose as absolute truths. To say anything at all about it, or anything else for that matter, I had to get to the source; the sanctuary for bees, located just outside the central parts of Oslo. And I almost overlooked it completely. It was way smaller than I expected, and hidden under the trees. It looks kind of like a set of electronic drums, but made of wood, and filled with flowers. Unlike most artworks left outside in the city, it stands curiously unharmed. Probably because it doesn´t look like art – which is a funky notion, and quite absurd coming from someone dabbling in art on a 24-7-schedule. Yet, this is a crucial point; I did really overlook it at first. It doesn´t scream for attention, and it has a function for someone – the bees, to be precise – beyond just offering a focal point for thought provoking reflections. So, I´m not joking; it doesn´t look like art, and it may even be that it isn´t, strictly speaking (but, you know, of course it is) – but it doesn´t really matter what and if or if not; the point is that this is where it comes from, and thus it makes perfect sense that it involves bees. Let´s face it, existence would be considerably less interesting without the bees. Given that 50% of the species ended up extinct during the past hundred years, the remaining 50% is very likely in trouble, and I think we should probably feel a bit guilty about that. We should really look after those beings, not only the bees. Not only because they´re in trouble due to the industrial revolution, but because we´re cursed without them. Then again, try get this message across in a world where public debate is about being loud and interrupting the other speakers. Indeed, try to convince anyone with your language and rhetorical skills in 2018, under any circumstances. Amazed that dolphins speak, no one really paid any attention to what they were actually saying. It´s no longer about whether the glass is half empty or half full, but whether there is a glass at all. The strategy applied here; the anonymous little garden as a platform for diverse interconnected projects and productions, can and should be understood as a sanctuary not only for the bees, and as a consequence of personal politics in a time when that shit really doesn´t matter. Every now and then I get those questions people involved in art regularly gets from people not involved in art. They´re a constant. The most common is the blunt and aggressive «What is art?», but sometimes you get the more curious «Where do you think art is going?». And that´s kind of like asking where the universe is going, but what’s interesting is the notion of movement; that it is actually going somewhere – and that precious few, presumably hardcore insiders and people in power, knows where. As if art was the ocean, or Africa, when it is in fact the moon – we know exactly where it´s going, and it will repeat itself ad infinitum. It goes around and it comes around. Now, the interesting thing is of course those various unpredictable pieces of rocks and space-trash that moves around the planets that could theoretically cause us some serious trouble. What´s interesting about contemporary art happens to act the same way; movements too rapid to grow into systems, discourses that fly under the radar, and projects that continuously evolve and strive for whatever lies beyond this timeframe we call «a life», spent within this maze of cause and effect we call «the earth». The only really alien planet.
So, this is more or less caught in flux. I´ve no idea where anything is going, nor have anyone else. But I know when the war started, and how. I know that nothing works, and that it doesn´t work for a reason. I know art, because unlike everyday life, art is real. I know why women have men figured out before they´re fifteen, and why most men will never figure women out – admittedly, I know too much for my own good. And I know where this process has its roots, and I mean that literally.
text by Tommy Olsson
sanctuary
ˈsaŋ(k)tjʊəri/
noun
1. 1.
refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution, or other danger.
"his sons took sanctuary in the church"
synonymer:
refuge, haven, harbour, port in a storm, oasis, shelter, retreat, bolt-hole, foxhole, hideout, hiding place, hideaway, den, asylum, safe house, fastness; More
2. 2.
a nature reserve.
"a bird sanctuary"
Alice thought she might as well wait, as she had nothing else to do, and perhaps after all it might tell her something worth hearing. For some minutes it puffed away without speaking, but at last it unfolded its arms, took the hookah out of its mouth again, and said,
'So you think you're changed, do you?'
'I'm afraid I am, sir,' said Alice; 'I can't remember things as I used — and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!'
'Can't remember what things?' said the Caterpillar.
'Well, I've tried to say "How doth the little busy bee," but it all came different!' Alice replied in a very melancholy voice.
- Lewis Carroll, Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland
This text - the words, their meaning, the way I´m writing them, how they´re interpreted, what it´s all about, my hidden agenda and all that, and how it relates to the agenda of the thing itself, and how that´s not really a «thing» at all, but rather a sprawl, and a big one at that. All these things, and the places they may take you, or me. Reading between the lines never made more sense. You could, with some justification, say it´s by a long shot. I would argue - with, admittedly, considerably less to back up my point: that it´s always like that. But either way, you´ll eventually face the nightmarish web of cause and effect underneath the surface, by which this world does not function. And the nausea caused by realizing that all things obvious are the fruits of pure fiction, and that real connections lies elsewhere, usually out of reach, and usually with nothing to do with you, or your kind. But, then again; it all boils down to the way you look at it. First; it doesn´t really matter whether it is a long shot or not as long as it is shot and hits target. Could be a shot of Tequila. Could be a silver bullet for the werewolf. Could be a lot of different things. Now, to get to the point of all this; what if a lot of different things – ideas, points of view, discussions, instagram posts and printed matter, etc, etc – was to take as its jump off-point for further development, four hexagon shaped flowerpots on a street corner in Oslo? Eventually spreading, reaching various corners of the planet – like, say, for instance, San Francisco? Certainly, that´s a long shot, no? Not really. Or, at least not exceptionally long, because, as I would argue; it´s always like this, and the longer the shot the better. There´s a logic to this; gardening tends to become a tool for magic when applied by people with some form of art education. It´s true. Because it is one of those basic things; it is the very definition of knowledge. And we know how this goes; Knowledge is power, and power is pizza. However; knowledge is, of course, also a curse, and back in the day, many a witch found themselves at the mercy of those not only lacking the knowledge, but took it as evidence of satanic forces at work. Which is, pretty much, correct – because ignorance is bliss. Ignorance is bliss, and bliss is safety – safety, however, is not pizza. Nothing ever changes. Nothing ever stays quite the same.
So, as I was considering this flow – the prints, the tiny bottles of herbal mixtures, the notion of some people being «rare» - and along those thoughts, how to preserve knowledge in times when the majority not only rejects it, but rage against it. What this has done to this final age of politics, where facts are opinions, and opinions pose as absolute truths. To say anything at all about it, or anything else for that matter, I had to get to the source; the sanctuary for bees, located just outside the central parts of Oslo. And I almost overlooked it completely. It was way smaller than I expected, and hidden under the trees. It looks kind of like a set of electronic drums, but made of wood, and filled with flowers. Unlike most artworks left outside in the city, it stands curiously unharmed. Probably because it doesn´t look like art – which is a funky notion, and quite absurd coming from someone dabbling in art on a 24-7-schedule. Yet, this is a crucial point; I did really overlook it at first. It doesn´t scream for attention, and it has a function for someone – the bees, to be precise – beyond just offering a focal point for thought provoking reflections. So, I´m not joking; it doesn´t look like art, and it may even be that it isn´t, strictly speaking (but, you know, of course it is) – but it doesn´t really matter what and if or if not; the point is that this is where it comes from, and thus it makes perfect sense that it involves bees. Let´s face it, existence would be considerably less interesting without the bees. Given that 50% of the species ended up extinct during the past hundred years, the remaining 50% is very likely in trouble, and I think we should probably feel a bit guilty about that. We should really look after those beings, not only the bees. Not only because they´re in trouble due to the industrial revolution, but because we´re cursed without them. Then again, try get this message across in a world where public debate is about being loud and interrupting the other speakers. Indeed, try to convince anyone with your language and rhetorical skills in 2018, under any circumstances. Amazed that dolphins speak, no one really paid any attention to what they were actually saying. It´s no longer about whether the glass is half empty or half full, but whether there is a glass at all. The strategy applied here; the anonymous little garden as a platform for diverse interconnected projects and productions, can and should be understood as a sanctuary not only for the bees, and as a consequence of personal politics in a time when that shit really doesn´t matter. Every now and then I get those questions people involved in art regularly gets from people not involved in art. They´re a constant. The most common is the blunt and aggressive «What is art?», but sometimes you get the more curious «Where do you think art is going?». And that´s kind of like asking where the universe is going, but what’s interesting is the notion of movement; that it is actually going somewhere – and that precious few, presumably hardcore insiders and people in power, knows where. As if art was the ocean, or Africa, when it is in fact the moon – we know exactly where it´s going, and it will repeat itself ad infinitum. It goes around and it comes around. Now, the interesting thing is of course those various unpredictable pieces of rocks and space-trash that moves around the planets that could theoretically cause us some serious trouble. What´s interesting about contemporary art happens to act the same way; movements too rapid to grow into systems, discourses that fly under the radar, and projects that continuously evolve and strive for whatever lies beyond this timeframe we call «a life», spent within this maze of cause and effect we call «the earth». The only really alien planet.
So, this is more or less caught in flux. I´ve no idea where anything is going, nor have anyone else. But I know when the war started, and how. I know that nothing works, and that it doesn´t work for a reason. I know art, because unlike everyday life, art is real. I know why women have men figured out before they´re fifteen, and why most men will never figure women out – admittedly, I know too much for my own good. And I know where this process has its roots, and I mean that literally.
Press:
KONSTHOPP 2012 / Interview about curating
MÅG issue two 2010 / Art works and text, page 124
NY ART BEAT / about LOCUS exhibition at Trygve Lie Gallery
LOCUS INTERVIEW / About LOCUS
KUNSTKRITIKK / Review of the book Kurator?
SPANA / About LOCUS
KUNST+ #3 2010 / Interview about the book Kurator?
KUNSTFORUM #1 2010 / Review of the book Kurator?
KONSTHOPP 2012 / Interview about curating
MÅG issue two 2010 / Art works and text, page 124
NY ART BEAT / about LOCUS exhibition at Trygve Lie Gallery
LOCUS INTERVIEW / About LOCUS
KUNSTKRITIKK / Review of the book Kurator?
SPANA / About LOCUS
KUNST+ #3 2010 / Interview about the book Kurator?
KUNSTFORUM #1 2010 / Review of the book Kurator?
Interview in KONSTHOPP:
Curator talk with LOCUS:
1. When did you start curating? Tell us something about your educational background?
LOCUS: We met while studying curating at Telemark University College in 2006, and seeing as we both are artists, we discovered that we had a many common denominators in our views on curating as well. Thale is trained in photography/text from Rome and Oslo, and Tanja in drawing/painting from Bergen and New York. We decided to work together, and founded LOCUS art and curator group. The first thing we curated was a series of video art events in Oslo and Trondheim. Since then we have curated and collaborated on smaller and bigger art shows in Oslo, Voss, Nissedal and New York. We work as curators, artists, art consultants (for KORO/Public Art Norway) and writers. In 2009 LOCUS published the book “Kurator?” an anthology of interviews with, and texts by curators working in Norway.
2. What is the artistic field of your curatorial practice?
LOCUS: The most important aspect of curating is threefold, 1) the theme 2) the artwork and 3) how it is conveyed/contextualized within the given space.
We normally have a clear vision and focus regarding the theme of the exhibitions. Often it has been inspired by political, scientific or spiritual events. Developing a theme, we work very intuitively, and in some respects almost scientifically. We do a lot of research on the topic; we attempt to explore and excavate the theme, and we do not have all the answers until the exhibition/project is over. For example, in our book project “Kurator?”, we investigated how curators work in Norway today, and we didn’t know from the outset what we were going to find. When we curate, we invite artists we believe will respond to, and create an interesting dialogue based on the given theme. We look at a lot of artists and follow their work, so when we invite somebody to participate in a project we trust them and their process of working.
How an artwork or the theme is conveyed is also an important part of our work. For instance, for the video art events we curated, we decided to make the screening of the videos a “one time only”-event, over the course of one evening. Our intention was that the audience should view the entire work in a focused setting, not see the work broken up in parts, which often happen when video is showed in a loop and you walk in on a work in progress.
As to the artistic field of curating, we will always bring with us our background as artists. When we work with art projects, whether the outcome is a curated show, our own exhibition, or a book, the process will always be colored by our background/experience.
3. Is there a difference in curating different field of arts, etc. paintings, videos, interactive works or a piece of net art?
LOCUS: Yes, and no! We started curating video art since the media is easy to transport, and we could easily make pop up video art exhibitions in borrowed spaces.
It requires much more preparation organizing a bigger exhibition space with large paintings and installations, and it can be more expensive to produce, but in essence the process is the same. We are a nomadic curator group, we do not have our own gallery space and we never know in advance if we will get public funding for a project, so we are used to finding creative solutions to different obstacles. Other elements in preparing a show – the planning, applying for funding, writing project outlines, press releases, shipping and installation – are not very different from show to show, everything needs to be done. After 6 years of collaboration we have experienced that being two does not just double our capacity, it quadruples it and often makes us more efficient than working solo. We discuss, plan and organize, and the project never suffers since one of us can always fill in and back up if the other is preoccupied. We trust each other, communicate easily and are very much in unison with the projects we work on.
4. What kind of qualities do you think a curator should have?
Thale: A curator needs to be open minded, flexible and good with editing, both when it comes to artworks and text!
Tanja: And be a good mediator and have a functional toolbox.
5. Do you think that new and digital media used in contemporary art has brought new aspects to arts and curating? Yes or no, explain why?
LOCUS: It has opened up a wider area in which to explore and experience art. Artists always question the status quo, and now digital media is just that. But it is important to create the best way to present an artwork, as everything surrounding the work has a context, now video has established the black box, painting the white cube etc. so it will be interesting to see how digital media art will best be conveyed. Experiencing artwork is really very private, it is you and the work, and so is our interaction with our computer. It is especially interesting with the new Google art project, which makes museums and art available to the public through the computer, but for a curator it is also a great tool for studying curatorial decisions.
6. In times of “You Tube” and the Internet, do you think a curator is still needed?
LOCUS: Yes, definitely. The curator is often the conveyor of meaning, the translator and the person who can help both audience and artists in forming a closer and better relationship with one another. The curator is also of great help to the artists; many artists want to focus solely on creating the work and don't always wish to spend valuable time conveying their art to the audience.
7. What are your curatorial plans for the future? What are your personal wishes, hopes and perspectives in curating?
LOCUS: Right now we are working on a show presenting our own work at the project space at Tegneforbundet in Oslo (which opens Sept. 27, 2012) where we through drawing, photo and installation investigate what happens to the soul after death, before next life cycle. We are very conscious about the space, lighting, sound etc, and want to create a very specific mood in the room. When we create a show with our own art we can be freer or more immediate in how we alter the room. When we work with presenting other people’s art, we have to work with the artist to find out what they want to achieve, and how the essence in their artwork can be most adeptly expressed. Placing meaningful objects like art in a room is very hands-on and instinctual, and as curators we try to be true to the artworks.
It is easy to discuss curating in an academic way, but it is very much an intuitive process, and a magical process, and we hope that these aspects of curating will be explored further in the future.
Thale: I started a window box gallery in Oslo last year, within the Pushwagner gallery, where each month I curate smaller shows with emerging artists, and I will continue that project. When I curate shows or work as an art consultant, I aim at including 50% male and female artists, and I also wish to showcase younger artists. Of course, the most important thing for me is to curate interesting shows, which to me are shows that arouse something in its viewers, and give the audience a new perspective, whether this is on society, contemporary art or both.
Tanja: Through art projects and curatorial projects alike I explore something I don’t know, but which stirs my interest.
Now I am working on a Performance Laboratorium (co-curated with Gudrun Flatebø), which will be held at the cultural space Galleri 69 & Kafe MIR at Lufthavna in Oslo this fall. Initially I thought it would be interesting to create a performance lab because I did not know much about performance, I did not think I fully understood the history of performance and what performance is, it is a very mysterious art form as it is so hard to define.
8. What is the future of professional curating from your point of view?
LOCUS: In 2004 two curatorial study programs were established in Norway, and since then we have seen an escalating professionalization of the Norwegian curator. Before there where mostly artists or art historians who did this job. Last year the Norwegian Association of Curators was founded, which is an important step in professionalization, and we think the society and the art word in particular is increasingly starting to see the value of the curator. There is a great interest in contemporary art, but with conceptualism, postmodernism and all the other isms of the last 40 years, the audience sometimes depends on someone to convey the art. Curators can have this and many other functions. There are so many ways of curating and so many venues of discussing curating, like Konsthopp, so we think the future of curating is very positive and exciting!
Curator talk with LOCUS:
1. When did you start curating? Tell us something about your educational background?
LOCUS: We met while studying curating at Telemark University College in 2006, and seeing as we both are artists, we discovered that we had a many common denominators in our views on curating as well. Thale is trained in photography/text from Rome and Oslo, and Tanja in drawing/painting from Bergen and New York. We decided to work together, and founded LOCUS art and curator group. The first thing we curated was a series of video art events in Oslo and Trondheim. Since then we have curated and collaborated on smaller and bigger art shows in Oslo, Voss, Nissedal and New York. We work as curators, artists, art consultants (for KORO/Public Art Norway) and writers. In 2009 LOCUS published the book “Kurator?” an anthology of interviews with, and texts by curators working in Norway.
2. What is the artistic field of your curatorial practice?
LOCUS: The most important aspect of curating is threefold, 1) the theme 2) the artwork and 3) how it is conveyed/contextualized within the given space.
We normally have a clear vision and focus regarding the theme of the exhibitions. Often it has been inspired by political, scientific or spiritual events. Developing a theme, we work very intuitively, and in some respects almost scientifically. We do a lot of research on the topic; we attempt to explore and excavate the theme, and we do not have all the answers until the exhibition/project is over. For example, in our book project “Kurator?”, we investigated how curators work in Norway today, and we didn’t know from the outset what we were going to find. When we curate, we invite artists we believe will respond to, and create an interesting dialogue based on the given theme. We look at a lot of artists and follow their work, so when we invite somebody to participate in a project we trust them and their process of working.
How an artwork or the theme is conveyed is also an important part of our work. For instance, for the video art events we curated, we decided to make the screening of the videos a “one time only”-event, over the course of one evening. Our intention was that the audience should view the entire work in a focused setting, not see the work broken up in parts, which often happen when video is showed in a loop and you walk in on a work in progress.
As to the artistic field of curating, we will always bring with us our background as artists. When we work with art projects, whether the outcome is a curated show, our own exhibition, or a book, the process will always be colored by our background/experience.
3. Is there a difference in curating different field of arts, etc. paintings, videos, interactive works or a piece of net art?
LOCUS: Yes, and no! We started curating video art since the media is easy to transport, and we could easily make pop up video art exhibitions in borrowed spaces.
It requires much more preparation organizing a bigger exhibition space with large paintings and installations, and it can be more expensive to produce, but in essence the process is the same. We are a nomadic curator group, we do not have our own gallery space and we never know in advance if we will get public funding for a project, so we are used to finding creative solutions to different obstacles. Other elements in preparing a show – the planning, applying for funding, writing project outlines, press releases, shipping and installation – are not very different from show to show, everything needs to be done. After 6 years of collaboration we have experienced that being two does not just double our capacity, it quadruples it and often makes us more efficient than working solo. We discuss, plan and organize, and the project never suffers since one of us can always fill in and back up if the other is preoccupied. We trust each other, communicate easily and are very much in unison with the projects we work on.
4. What kind of qualities do you think a curator should have?
Thale: A curator needs to be open minded, flexible and good with editing, both when it comes to artworks and text!
Tanja: And be a good mediator and have a functional toolbox.
5. Do you think that new and digital media used in contemporary art has brought new aspects to arts and curating? Yes or no, explain why?
LOCUS: It has opened up a wider area in which to explore and experience art. Artists always question the status quo, and now digital media is just that. But it is important to create the best way to present an artwork, as everything surrounding the work has a context, now video has established the black box, painting the white cube etc. so it will be interesting to see how digital media art will best be conveyed. Experiencing artwork is really very private, it is you and the work, and so is our interaction with our computer. It is especially interesting with the new Google art project, which makes museums and art available to the public through the computer, but for a curator it is also a great tool for studying curatorial decisions.
6. In times of “You Tube” and the Internet, do you think a curator is still needed?
LOCUS: Yes, definitely. The curator is often the conveyor of meaning, the translator and the person who can help both audience and artists in forming a closer and better relationship with one another. The curator is also of great help to the artists; many artists want to focus solely on creating the work and don't always wish to spend valuable time conveying their art to the audience.
7. What are your curatorial plans for the future? What are your personal wishes, hopes and perspectives in curating?
LOCUS: Right now we are working on a show presenting our own work at the project space at Tegneforbundet in Oslo (which opens Sept. 27, 2012) where we through drawing, photo and installation investigate what happens to the soul after death, before next life cycle. We are very conscious about the space, lighting, sound etc, and want to create a very specific mood in the room. When we create a show with our own art we can be freer or more immediate in how we alter the room. When we work with presenting other people’s art, we have to work with the artist to find out what they want to achieve, and how the essence in their artwork can be most adeptly expressed. Placing meaningful objects like art in a room is very hands-on and instinctual, and as curators we try to be true to the artworks.
It is easy to discuss curating in an academic way, but it is very much an intuitive process, and a magical process, and we hope that these aspects of curating will be explored further in the future.
Thale: I started a window box gallery in Oslo last year, within the Pushwagner gallery, where each month I curate smaller shows with emerging artists, and I will continue that project. When I curate shows or work as an art consultant, I aim at including 50% male and female artists, and I also wish to showcase younger artists. Of course, the most important thing for me is to curate interesting shows, which to me are shows that arouse something in its viewers, and give the audience a new perspective, whether this is on society, contemporary art or both.
Tanja: Through art projects and curatorial projects alike I explore something I don’t know, but which stirs my interest.
Now I am working on a Performance Laboratorium (co-curated with Gudrun Flatebø), which will be held at the cultural space Galleri 69 & Kafe MIR at Lufthavna in Oslo this fall. Initially I thought it would be interesting to create a performance lab because I did not know much about performance, I did not think I fully understood the history of performance and what performance is, it is a very mysterious art form as it is so hard to define.
8. What is the future of professional curating from your point of view?
LOCUS: In 2004 two curatorial study programs were established in Norway, and since then we have seen an escalating professionalization of the Norwegian curator. Before there where mostly artists or art historians who did this job. Last year the Norwegian Association of Curators was founded, which is an important step in professionalization, and we think the society and the art word in particular is increasingly starting to see the value of the curator. There is a great interest in contemporary art, but with conceptualism, postmodernism and all the other isms of the last 40 years, the audience sometimes depends on someone to convey the art. Curators can have this and many other functions. There are so many ways of curating and so many venues of discussing curating, like Konsthopp, so we think the future of curating is very positive and exciting!