Ørnulf Bast, Where are my dreams stored? Hulias, Oslo
Art transcends borders, languages, time, and age. Hulias, the gallery perched on a steep hill in Gunerløkka, Oslo, recently presented the work of someone who left the world all too soon. Ørnulf Bast (1907–1974) passed away at the age of 67. Several years later, three of his grandchildren stepped into their grandfather’s studio and created an exhibition that reflects a profoundly vibrant artistic legacy. It feels as though it’s still alive. The sound of the slide projector becomes a heartbeat. Everything – from these slides to a plaster leg resting atop a sculpture, postcards, photographs, a heap of sketches in a box, prints, shells, and inexplicable objects either in or on another box – makes Hulias buzz with energy. It makes me want to get to work immediately.
Kari Cavén, Sattuu ja tapahtuu (Again and again), Anhava, Helsinki
Telephone receivers, saw blades, clothes pegs, corks, work gloves, coins, clamps, bed frames, fire hoses, aluminium bowls from IKEA, fuses, car parts, violin bows, rulers, and taps are items we instantly recognise. With these objects, which Kari Cavén presented at Helsinki’s Anhava Gallery this autumn, the artist known to us from the Venice and São Paulo Biennales balances elegantly along a path marked by profound seriousness and humour. Curator Maaretta Jaukkuri writes: “Cavén’s art is the precise and insightful archaeology of everyday life.” Years ago, I received a sculpture via post made from six scrubbing brushes that form a space where I can place my hand – and I do, again and again.
Anna-Eva Bergman, Becoming Anna-Eva Bergman, The National Museum, Oslo
She ventured out early. Her drawings were political, bold, and infused with humour. With her sharp lines, Anna-Eva Bergman (1909–1987) created illustrations that took a stand and conveyed strong views on the events of her time. Everyday life became war. In a way, this echoes what Vanessa Baird represents – the rawness of daily life. After the Second World War, Bergman travelled north and witnessed how Norway had neglected the people of Finnmark, a county left utterly devastated when the Germans burned down settlements during their retreat. Bergman’s journey, like that of fellow painter Peder Balke, who had travelled through the same landscape a century earlier, left a profound impression. Using a variety of tools, Bergman created large abstract forms as emotional responses to what she had seen and experienced along the coast. Horizons and large round shapes in silver signalled a new sharpness distinct from the illustrative style of her earlier years. She was, indeed, a woman of remarkable courage.
A K Dolven is an artist based in Oslo and Lofoten. She has exhibited widely at major institutions in Norway and internationally, including Kunsthalle Bern, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Hamburger Bahnhof, KIASMA, the Northern Norwegian Art Museum, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. In 2025, her retrospective will open at the National Museum in Oslo.
Translation: Marie-Alix Isdahl
For this year’s contributions to the Advent Calendar, see here.
