Exhibition information
24 international artists present their varied practices in an exhibition spanning the gallery (and other) spaces inside and outside the Kunsthall. ‘with eyes closed, call me’ is organised thematically, connecting the artists’ shared explorations into different types of interpersonal and physical support structures, melodrama and sci-fi, ways of creating intimacy, memory and narrative collectively, and abstractions of forms and materials.
These thematic focuses have formed out of group discussions between the artists. The title is taken from a collaborative writing experiment in imagining what the exhibition, bringing together these different points of connection, wants to say. ‘with eyes closed, call me’ is an invitation to join the artists at the end of their two years of studying together in going into the unknown, interrupt the ‘normal’ paths ahead and make new ones together.
“A focus on collaboration runs through the exhibition and the planning behind it. We – Agnete, Alexandra, Anthony, Audrey, Ben, Dimitri, Éléonore, Gentian, Ingrid, Kim, Kristen, Linda, Linda, Marianne, Sandra, Sidsel, Søren, Tanya, Timothy, Tine, Tine, Tone, Victor, Yu and I – began with an understanding that although this is a presentation of 24 individual artists, we never make things happen on our own and we need to find ways to hold and guide each other in negotiating space, needs, disagreements, desires, doubts – and everything in between.
As well as collaborations between the artists themselves, Bergen and Malmö-based feminist design cooperative JAHJAH Studio (Johanne Karlsrud, Aurora Bergmark and Hanne Gabrielsen) have conceived the visual identity for the exhibition and catalogue. Art criticism duo The White Pube from the UK (Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad) lead an event on Saturday 4 May on their work in making room for honest dialogue, and disagreement, in contemporary art discourse. The exhibition is produced through the close co-working of the artists, who in groups have taken shared responsibility for communications, events, production and the catalogue, as well as the ongoing cooperation between many different workers in the teams in the Faculty of Art, Music and Design (KMD) at University of Bergen, Landmark and Bergen Kunsthall. The opening night on Friday 12 April at Bergen Kunsthall is curated, produced and catered by artists Emilie Wright, Emma Fuchs Sjövall, Fauve Tintigner, Haruka Fukau, Kaeto Sweeney, Peter Voss Knude and Sara Arenfeldt Kragh from the first-year Master’s Programme in Fine Art.
‘with eyes closed, call me’ asks you to come with us! To trust in those around you to try something different, know that we’re supporting each other in bringing all our individual experiences and feelings, and see where we can get to together.”
- Eva Rowson, Curator
With thanks to Colonialen, Bergen for their support.
Artists
Agnete Ilona Tangrand
Alexandra Jegerstedt
Anthony Morton
Audrey Hurd
Ben Connell
Dimitri Thomas-Komissarov
Éléonore Griveau
Gentian Rhosa Meikleham
Ingrid Skåland Eriksen
Kim Hankyul
Kristen Keegan
Linda Marie Westgaard
Linda Morell
Marianne Løvvik
Sandra Blichert
Sidsel Bonde
Søren Krag
Tanya Varbanova
Timothy Eklund
Tine Adler
Tine Gunvaldsen
Tone Andersen
Victor Guzman
Yu Zhu
Opening
Friday 12 April 20:00 – 22:00 (Opening speeches at 20:15)
Afterparty with DJ Sigrid Lerche 22:00 – 02:30
Free, all welcome
Tours
Every Sunday 13:00 for families with children
Every Sunday 14:00 for everyone (Sunday 5 May 14:00 Special tour with exhibition curator Eva Rowson)
Event
The White Pube: ‘Origin Story’
Saturday 4 May 14:00
Free. The talk will be in English