Archive for category Art, culture and literature
Top 10: Contemporary Norwegian authors
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on November 3, 2010
Wanna try some Norwegian literature, but don’t fancy any of the old classics? Here are a few contemporary authors worth checking out. All were born after 1950, and the works mentioned below have all been translated into English.
- Jostein Gaarder (1952–): His book Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy, published in 1991, has become a modern classic, and sold 30 million copies worldwide, but you could also try The Castle in the Pyrenees, The Orange Girl or The Ringmaster’s Daughter.
- Per Petterson (1952–): More sober in tone, but no less powerful, Petterson is recognised as one of the most gifted authors of his generation. Out Stealing Horses (2006) is probably his best known title abroad, but In the Wake, To Siberia, and his latest book, I Curse the River of Time, are all worth reading.
- Lars Saabye Christensen (1953–): His novel Beatles (1984) first brought him to the attention of an international public. Other titles translated into English include The Half Brother, also very popular, The Model and Herman, which was adapted for the big screen.
- Erlend Loe (1969–): Surprisingly only one of his books, Naive.Super, has to date been translated into English, which remains a mystery, as he is in my mind one of the most promising of the new generation of Norwegian writers. Whatever you do, make sure this book is top of your must-read list.
- Roy Jacobsen (1954–): Two of his novels have been nominated for the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize: The Conquerors in 1991 and Frost in 2004. The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles was published in the UK in 2008.
- Tom Egeland: The author behind The Night of the Wolves, and Circle’s End (2001), which some suspected Dan Brown had plagiarized when he wrote the Da Vinci Code. Nine of his books are currently available in English.
- Linn Ullmann: The daughter of Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann and director Ingmar Bergman. Her debut novel, Before You Sleep, was sold to 14 countries (including the United States, Britain, France and Germany) before it was even published in Norway. In 2009, her novel A Blessed Child was nominated to the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Her two other novels are Stella Descending and Grace.
- Thorvald Steen: He achieved international recognition with a number of creative historical novels, the most famous of which is probably Don Carlos, which came out in 1993. Other titles include Giovanni, Constantinople, and more recently Lionheart. Steen’s work is translated into more than 20 languages and he has received several literary prizes, both at home and abroad.
- Jan Kjærstad: Awarded the Nordic Council Literature Prize for the last instalment in his trilogy about the TV personality Jonas Wergeland (The Seducer, The Conqueror and The Discoverer). His books have also been translated into several languages.
- Jon Fosse: Widely considered as one of Norway’s greatest contemporary playwrights, although he also writes prose and poetry. Several of his works are available in English, among them Melancholy, Aliss at the Fire, and The Girl on the Sofa.
Remember also that some of Norway’s most talented contemporary authors are crime writers. Read about the most famous ones at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/01/top-5-norwegian-crime-writers/
Gallery Henrik Gerner, Moss
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on October 15, 2010
This well established gallery, a stone’s throw from Møllebyen in Moss, hosts around 10 temporary exhibitions annually. The artworks on display are usually taken from the gallery’s permanent collection, which features many contemporary Norwegian artists, including several local artists. Most of the works are for sale. The gallery represents artists directly, so there is no agent fee, with the exception of a 5% tax on works of a value of over 2,000Kr (a tax raised by all galleries in Norway to help fund the Bildende Kunstneres Hjelpefond, the Relief Fund for Visual Artists). There is a pleasant cafe on the ground floor, Café Brandstrup (www.cafebrandstrup.no), where more works are on display.
Henrik Gerners gate 7. Tel: 69 25 77 75, www.ghg.as. Opening times: Tues-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun noon-4pm. Free entry. The gallery is on the first floor.
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The current exhibition (16 Oct-7 Nov) features the work of Norwegian artist Camilla Grythe. I love her colourful city scenes – do check out the exhibition if you get the chance! See more of her paintings at http://ghg.as/grythe/index.html
Debut concert at Carnegie Hall today
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Photos and videos on October 10, 2010
An interview with Aksel Kolstad
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on October 10, 2010
Aksel Kolstad (born 22 April 1981) is an award-winning Norwegian composer, pianist, and stand-up comedian. With his unique style, he brings a fresh perspective to classical music, engaging audiences with his on-stage mix of athletics, comedy and music, all presented in very colourful fashion (literally!). He kindly agreed to answer a few questions I put to him before his debut show at Carnegie Hall in New York City today.
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Aksel, you grew up in Fredrikstad in the 1980-1990s. What was it like?
A lot of ‘jantelov’*, which I finally defeated, but great nature and a loving family that made me who I am today – fearless and entertaining. I watched the DJ Cat show a lot on Sky. God knows how I miss that cat!
You are now based in New York. How did you end up there?
Actually I am based in Oslo, but have apartments in both Tallinn and New York. So I travel a lot and yes, I am very much in NYC. If you want to get somewhere in the entertaining industry, you need to blossom in NYC. Then Japan. So next stop is Japan.
You are playing at Carnegie Hall today, not a bad achievement for a kid from Østfold. How do you feel about that?
I am already planning my second performance there 
You have a well documented fascination for George Gershwin. What appeals to you so much about his work?
He takes the best out of two genres. That is what I love to do. To pick something apart, and put something new together.
And back home, are there any Norwegian musicians-composers you look up to?
Alive: Wolfgang Plagge. Dead: Geirr Tveitt.
Your style, mixing humour and music, is quite unique. Why this approach?
When you laugh, you are more open to new things. My music is contemporary, so I figured I’d give the crowd a good laugh first. Besides, I’m funny to look at, so then I just do what I am best at. Being funny and playing my own music.
How often do you come back to Fredrikstad?
I’m there as often as possible. At least once a month!
What do you like best about the town?
Verdensspeilet!**
And about Østfold?
The nature.
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Read more about Aksel Kolstad at www.akselkolstad.com and about his Cafe de Concert concept at www.cafedeconcert.no
*Jantelov: Definition at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jante_Law
** Verdensspeilet: Fredrikstad’s most popular cafe www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/11/verdensspeilet-fredrikstad/
Grete Prytz Kittelsen (1917-2010)
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on October 4, 2010
The grande dame of Norwegian design, Grete Prytz Kittelsen, died last month in Oslo, aged 93. But her legacy endures.
Educated at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry (where her dad, Jakob Tostrup Prytz, worked as rector) and at the Institute of Design in Chicago, Kittelsen went on to become one of the most talented designers of her generation. Maybe it was in her genes. She was the fifth generation of goldsmith in the J. Tostrup family firm. Famed for her silver and enamel work, particularly her kitchenware, she was one of the best-known Norwegians in the Scandinavian Design movement.
Kittelsen wanted to bring good design to the masses by making jewellery and everyday objects people could afford, and she pioneered the use of large-scale manufacturing methods later used by industrial designers. She was also known to improvise and make her own tools, using for example a dentist bore to draw on silver, and to create works so big she had to use ovens designed to fire bathtubs.
Kittelsen studied in the US, and her work kept taking her back to the States. Unsurprisingly maybe, her designs were often inspired by American art, characterized by clear, plain colours and simple shapes. Her Lotus enamel bowls, produced in Cathrineholm in Halden, Østfold, in the 1960s, sold in their millions. Today they are collectors’ items. From the factory in Halden hundreds of thousands of her pieces were exported to Sweden, Denmark, Germany, England, the US and Canada, but also to countries as far away as New Zealand, Venezuela and South Africa. Such was her reputation.
Blocks of rock become works of art
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Uncategorized on September 21, 2010
Johansen’s Stone Quarry, Skjeberg
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Uncategorized on September 21, 2010
Ever been to a stone quarry? No, neither had I. Until, urged by a local acquaintance, I visited Johansens Monumenthuggeri in Skjeberg near Sarpsborg last month. Turned out to be very interesting, as it happens. This quarry, the largest of its kind in Norway, produces gravestones, cobble stones and the like, but what makes it really special is that it also attracts its fair share of artists.
Some 80-90 of them come to work here every year, including some big names like Kristian Blystad, one of Norway’s most famous contemporary sculptors. Even Morten Harket and Magne Furuholmen, of a-ha fame, both of whom are keen amateur sculptors, have spent some time here. Really. The quarry even has its own artist in residence, Kazuhiro Nomura, a Japanese sculptor from Nagoya, who has been coming to Norway for several years now. He spends his summers in his outdoor studio at Johansen’s, making good use of the natural light and a vast array of very specialised tools the quarry puts at his disposal.
The quarry imports stones from all over the world, as well as using local stones such as Iddefjord granite or Larvik stone (Larvikitt). The blocks of white Italian marble that were used for the new Opera House in Oslo were cut here. The quarry, now in the hands of the fifth generation of Johansens, handles a lot of similar big projects.
Walking around all these statues in the making is a surreal experience. Behind the workshop is a big open space where discarded artworks await their fate amid big blocks of rock and piles of gravel. Last summer they held a light and sound show here. I can imagine the quarry walls, cut straight in the mountain side, making quite a special background for it. I’ll most certainly check it out next year.
Skjebergveien 206, Klavestadhaugen (offices). Tel: 69 16 36 33, www.johansenmonument.no. Visits by appointment only.
Must-see exhibition at Soli Brug, Sarpsborg
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, News, Photos and videos on August 28, 2010