The 9. Kjerringøy Land Art Biennale 23/24 Special Edition
Meet the Artists
Elin Sundstrøm
Elin Sundström (b 1975) is a materialbased artist living outside Uppsala, Sweden. Her practice is multi-disciplinary and performative using photography, ceramic sculpture, land art and installation, as well as writing. Her work is concerned with the relationship between human and nature, negotiating non-hierarchical ways of relating to the other-thanhuman.
She holds a BFA from HDK, the University College of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg and a MFA from Konstfack, the university of Arts, Craft and Design, Stockholm, and she has participated in various group shows in Sweden. She graduated 2021 from Konstfack with a project that was chosen Favorite of the year by Konsthantverkarna. Exhibitions include Uppsala Art Museum and various group shows in Sweden. Her book River-and-I was published in 2021. In 2022, she received a one-year work grant from the Swedish Art Grants Committee.
A deep care for nature permeates her processes and methods, and much of the work takes place outdoors. She often works site-specific in proximity to water, which holds an important place in her art through its physical and philosophical properties of spreading and thereby binding together species, bodies and landscapes.
Elin Sundström (b 1975) is a materialbased artist living outside Uppsala, Sweden. Her practice is multi-disciplinary and performative using photography, ceramic sculpture, land art and installation, as well as writing. Her work is concerned with the relationship between human and nature, negotiating non-hierarchical ways of relating to the other-thanhuman.
She holds a BFA from HDK, the University College of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg and a MFA from Konstfack, the university of Arts, Craft and Design, Stockholm, and she has participated in various group shows in Sweden. She graduated 2021 from Konstfack with a project that was chosen Favorite of the year by Konsthantverkarna. Exhibitions include Uppsala Art Museum and various group shows in Sweden. Her book River-and-I was published in 2021. In 2022, she received a one-year work grant from the Swedish Art Grants Committee.
A deep care for nature permeates her processes and methods, and much of the work takes place outdoors. She often works site-specific in proximity to water, which holds an important place in her art through its physical and philosophical properties of spreading and thereby binding together species, bodies and landscapes.
Jannik Abel
(f. 1973 i Oslo, bor og arbeider på Nesodden ) fikk sin utdanning fra Kunstakademiet i San Francisco og hennes/hans/hens verk har siden gjort seg bemerket i det offentlige rom, gallerier og museer både nasjonalt og internasjonalt.
Jannik Abel jobber i bemerkelsesverdig mange forskjellige medier. Nå velger hun/han/hen fritt mellom skulptur, installasjon, foto, film og performance. Mulig Abel familiens unike tilstedeværelse i norsk kunst gir denne friheten. Janniks tippoldeforeldre startet nemlig Norges første galleri tilbake i 1864 og Jannik vokste selv opp på gallerigulvet i Oslo.
Abel la om kunstnerskapet i 2016 til en helt miljøvennlig produksjon, som heller ikke produserer noe avfall. Nå bor og jobber i hun/han/hen en vill skog på Nesodden og er kompromissløs når det kommer til å jobbe med materiale som er miljøvennlig. De siste fem årene har Abel jobbet med falne trær. “Umulige” sterke fysiske handlinger har blitt til kunstverk, skapt med kun håndkraft og enkle verktøy som sag, kniv og øks. Abels fysiske kapasitet overfører en helt egen styrke til verkene.
Abels kunstverk er mellomrommet mellom "hva som finnes og hva som "kan" finnes". Det vi drømmer om, det som burde være? Rettferdighet, likeverd, frihet og samhørighet. Abels verk er inkluderende. Det er det som er kunsten, sier hun/han/hen.
(f. 1973 i Oslo, bor og arbeider på Nesodden ) fikk sin utdanning fra Kunstakademiet i San Francisco og hennes/hans/hens verk har siden gjort seg bemerket i det offentlige rom, gallerier og museer både nasjonalt og internasjonalt.
Jannik Abel jobber i bemerkelsesverdig mange forskjellige medier. Nå velger hun/han/hen fritt mellom skulptur, installasjon, foto, film og performance. Mulig Abel familiens unike tilstedeværelse i norsk kunst gir denne friheten. Janniks tippoldeforeldre startet nemlig Norges første galleri tilbake i 1864 og Jannik vokste selv opp på gallerigulvet i Oslo.
Abel la om kunstnerskapet i 2016 til en helt miljøvennlig produksjon, som heller ikke produserer noe avfall. Nå bor og jobber i hun/han/hen en vill skog på Nesodden og er kompromissløs når det kommer til å jobbe med materiale som er miljøvennlig. De siste fem årene har Abel jobbet med falne trær. “Umulige” sterke fysiske handlinger har blitt til kunstverk, skapt med kun håndkraft og enkle verktøy som sag, kniv og øks. Abels fysiske kapasitet overfører en helt egen styrke til verkene.
Abels kunstverk er mellomrommet mellom "hva som finnes og hva som "kan" finnes". Det vi drømmer om, det som burde være? Rettferdighet, likeverd, frihet og samhørighet. Abels verk er inkluderende. Det er det som er kunsten, sier hun/han/hen.
Jette Mellgren
(b. 1963)
I am educated as an archeologist, trained as a basket maker and work as a visual artist.
During the last 25 years I have had the opportunities to travel and learn by different makers and artist to find my own expression.
I work with small objects as well as land art installations. My practice is based on a personal engagement with landscape. My
work celebrates and carries an essence of what I experience in nature. My basic approach is to bring out inherent and hidden
qualities of nature and its potential as the bearer of a narrative.
Trained as a basketmaker which tradition historically has been connected to function and use, I create work into fancy and
sculptural objects, which far exceeds its conceptual form. I work with natural fibres and gathered materials, employing
techniques as weaving, stitching and print to create surfaces and structures.
(b. 1963)
I am educated as an archeologist, trained as a basket maker and work as a visual artist.
During the last 25 years I have had the opportunities to travel and learn by different makers and artist to find my own expression.
I work with small objects as well as land art installations. My practice is based on a personal engagement with landscape. My
work celebrates and carries an essence of what I experience in nature. My basic approach is to bring out inherent and hidden
qualities of nature and its potential as the bearer of a narrative.
Trained as a basketmaker which tradition historically has been connected to function and use, I create work into fancy and
sculptural objects, which far exceeds its conceptual form. I work with natural fibres and gathered materials, employing
techniques as weaving, stitching and print to create surfaces and structures.
Kristen Rønnevik
(f.1977, Haugesund, bor og arbeider i Haugesund) arbeider med performance, installasjon, tekst,
stedsbestemt og prosjekt-orientert/relasjonell kunst. Arbeidsmetodene han tar i bruk er stedsbestemte, sirkulære,
kontekstuelle, konseptuelt, tema- og idébasert. Rønnevik arbeider med å skape sosiale arenaer og møter mellom mennesker,
naturen og bylandskap. Grunntanken er at; naturen og dens økologi er læremesteren, men byen er både hagen, lerretet og
scenen der Kristen Rønnevik utfolder sitt kunstneriske virke.
Han viser i sine arbeider hvordan vi mennesker etterlater oss spor i naturen og i bymiljøet, og hvordan vi som samfunnsborgere kan ta et større ansvar og bli mer bevisste på disse sporene og å lytte til en form av indre etikk og moral i henhold til vår adferd.
(f.1977, Haugesund, bor og arbeider i Haugesund) arbeider med performance, installasjon, tekst,
stedsbestemt og prosjekt-orientert/relasjonell kunst. Arbeidsmetodene han tar i bruk er stedsbestemte, sirkulære,
kontekstuelle, konseptuelt, tema- og idébasert. Rønnevik arbeider med å skape sosiale arenaer og møter mellom mennesker,
naturen og bylandskap. Grunntanken er at; naturen og dens økologi er læremesteren, men byen er både hagen, lerretet og
scenen der Kristen Rønnevik utfolder sitt kunstneriske virke.
Han viser i sine arbeider hvordan vi mennesker etterlater oss spor i naturen og i bymiljøet, og hvordan vi som samfunnsborgere kan ta et større ansvar og bli mer bevisste på disse sporene og å lytte til en form av indre etikk og moral i henhold til vår adferd.
Mar Serinyà Gou
(b.1986, Torroella de Montgrí, Catalonia, Spain) is a visual and perfomanceart artist. She holds a Phd in Fine
Arts from the University of Barcelona. She graduated in voice by the Conservatory of Barcelona and with different studies on
consciousness of movement and systemic methodology. She has been doing several exhibitions and performance-art in
different museums, centers and Festivals in national and international territory.
(b.1986, Torroella de Montgrí, Catalonia, Spain) is a visual and perfomanceart artist. She holds a Phd in Fine
Arts from the University of Barcelona. She graduated in voice by the Conservatory of Barcelona and with different studies on
consciousness of movement and systemic methodology. She has been doing several exhibitions and performance-art in
different museums, centers and Festivals in national and international territory.
Rainer Fest
(b. 1953 in Berlin)
My artwork expresses my strong wish that mankind and nature will live in harmony. I often use the symbols house that stands
for shelter and home; stairs for development, progress; and bridge that stands for longing and overwinding a status quo. These
symbols stand in an unworked surrounding on the stone. These symbols reach into a spiritual dimension. I like to work with positive and negative forms, opposites to express my art as the restoration of a Unity that consists of counterparts. I do like the idea, that people find my sculptures unexpected somewhere by chance, in a natural surrounding.
(b. 1953 in Berlin)
My artwork expresses my strong wish that mankind and nature will live in harmony. I often use the symbols house that stands
for shelter and home; stairs for development, progress; and bridge that stands for longing and overwinding a status quo. These
symbols stand in an unworked surrounding on the stone. These symbols reach into a spiritual dimension. I like to work with positive and negative forms, opposites to express my art as the restoration of a Unity that consists of counterparts. I do like the idea, that people find my sculptures unexpected somewhere by chance, in a natural surrounding.
Ted Efremoff
My work deals with issues of displacement, marginalization, and integration. It extends beyond explorations of human societies to the influence humans have on nature.
My suspicion is that human creativity is not attached solely to the handle of art, but to ordinary activities that intersect every aspect of our lives. I am interested in the kind of literal and metaphoric travel through space and time that storytelling allows us to experience. The stories I tell focus on the creative solutions people find in living their daily lives. I aim to facilitate dialogue and engage people in questioning their relationship to the environmental and political status quo.
Spurred by my personal interest in social and environmental justice, I envision collaborative activity as an instrument that builds critical relationships between people. While the process of creating for (and with) others is a challenge, it provides a stimulus for discovery and discourse.
My work deals with issues of displacement, marginalization, and integration. It extends beyond explorations of human societies to the influence humans have on nature.
My suspicion is that human creativity is not attached solely to the handle of art, but to ordinary activities that intersect every aspect of our lives. I am interested in the kind of literal and metaphoric travel through space and time that storytelling allows us to experience. The stories I tell focus on the creative solutions people find in living their daily lives. I aim to facilitate dialogue and engage people in questioning their relationship to the environmental and political status quo.
Spurred by my personal interest in social and environmental justice, I envision collaborative activity as an instrument that builds critical relationships between people. While the process of creating for (and with) others is a challenge, it provides a stimulus for discovery and discourse.