We stop time, just for a moment, and celebrate all that is yet to come.

a little larger than the entire universe is this year's master exhibition from the Art Academy, Faculty of Art, Music and Design, UiB. We have the pleasure to present a constellation of artworks from 27 “fresh” artists, a new class, a new generation, educated under unusual circumstances. Depending on infection prevention and control regulations, the show will either create an air pocket in a time marked by restrictions and social distancing; or stand as a creative monument for the dream of a near future; where collectivism, collaborations and social interaction function as glue in communities and in society in general. Despite all circumstances, the 27 artists are:

Ida Westberg sets the tone for the exhibition with yellow silk flags at the entrance to Bergen Kunsthall. Yellow flags are also used at sea to signal that there is no infection on board and require permission to dock. There are several artists in the show working with identity issues and engaging in topics with political undertones. Terje Abusdal shows a project about Sea Sámi history and Norwegian assimilation policies with a sound installation, photographs and a video work. WiktoriaGazda addresses the current socio-political situation in Poland. Derek Sargent initiates a historical archive of influential LGBTQIA figures. Both Sigurd Aas Hansen and Sigrid Lerche address gender issues: Hansen's paintings and sculptures explore representation of masculinity and fitness; Lerche'svideo performance engages with digital culture and role-playing through a camgirl website.

Giulia Mangione, Madihe Gharibi and Muhammad Shahid work with migration and identity issues. Mangione has explored Ole Bull's history and Oleana, a Norwegian settler colony in Pennsylvania. Her video installation is based on documentary material. Shahid’s and Gharibi's projects spring from their own experiences with migration: Shahid explores the intersection of the Eastern miniature painting tradition and Western visual universe; Gharibi shows a multimedia work lingering with guilt for emigrating from her home country, Iran.

Sanne Frostensson's installation Practicing life reflects an ascetic life that intertwines art practice with daily exercises of a philosophical, psychological and deeply religious nature. Attentiveness for the materials and for the sensorial is evident in Dan Brown Brønlund's installation and sculptures, Terese Stenhjem's kinetic installation and Noah Hallström's painting and compositions. Gunhild SannesLarsen researches the qualities and possibilities of painting.

The Bjerknes Center for Climate Research forms the basis for Alex Hamish Millar's speculative narrative connecting science and the supernatural. Margrethe Kühle's pop-up book gives the internet a physical form and examines digital words and phenomena, such as trolls, Trojan horses, sock puppets and bugs. Kristoffer Martensen has for several years worked with boxing and its main icon Muhammed Ali. The photographic series Animals by Vegard Ekberg offers an intimate and challenging visual narrative about a couple’s life. Auður Ómarsdóttir's paintings and sculptures contain references ranging from popular culture to sports and art history.

Ingrid Forland's sculpture is an intervention in the gallery's space. The project examines biopoliticalaspects of fatigue, and focuses on resting as a radical counterposition to expectations of social participation and productivity.

William Kudahl's video essay dwells on the intangibility of the concept of “love is in the air”. UnnDevik's paintings and ink drawings use the Bergen mountains as a starting point for processing thoughts about time and unpredictability. Cheng Ting Ting displays a selection of paintings from her extensive series Night Walk. Jonas Greni's paintings play on parallel perceptions of reality.

Sofie Hviid Vinther is concerned with how work, career choices and identity are intertwined. In her MA project,  the artist has developed sculptures and a workwear collection with references to industrial workers. She has also logged and structured her own time allocation between artistic work and life in general.

Medieval prophecies and  contemporary doomsday narratives are the subjects of Sigrún HlínSigurðardóttir's knitted textile work, addressing contemporary challenges with a historical perspective. Fergus Tibb's art is often associated with collectivism and the development of new communities: On the gallery's second floor, a DIY construction will be built as a collaborative initiative, where a number of social activities are planned, from radio broadcast to chess games, dinners and performances. 

Welcome to the show!

- Curator Adriana Alves

With: Alex Hamish Millar, Auður Ómarsdóttir, Cheng Ting Ting, Dan Brown Brønlund, Derek Sargent, Fergus Tibbs, Giulia Mangione, Gunhild Sannes Larsen, Ida Westberg, Ingrid Forland, Jonas Greni, Madihe Gharibi, Kristoffer Martensen, Margrethe Kühle, Muhammad Shahid, Noah Hallström, Sanne Frostensson, Sigrid Lerche, Sigrún Hlín Sigurðardóttir, Sigurd Aas Hansen, Sofie Hviid Vinther, Terese Stenhjem, Terje Abusdal, Unn Devik, Vegard Ekberg, Wiktoria Gazda, William Kudahl

Curator: Adriana Alves