09 Jun 2011

Art Academy in Oslo: MFA SHOW 2011 ONLINE

Oslo Aperto / MFA SHOW 2011 ONLINE / kunstakademiet.no

It is an exciting time for contemporary art in Oslo. The last couple of years the local scene has gained international attention – more than ever before, I think. Obviously, this has to do with a variety of remarkable artists, ranging from artist subjects rooted in the tradition all the way back to the Kristiania Bohème to the more recent attitude of research based practice.

Also, it has to do with an environment of high profile institutions like OCA, Kunsthall Oslo, UKS, HOK and Kunsternes Hus as well as artist initiated projects such as Dortmund Bodega, NoPlace, Rod Bianco, MFAPS and One Night Only; galleries like Standard, Riis and MGM; a publishing house such as Torpedo and an art review such as Kunstkritikk.

This is the infrastructure that the MFA program at Kunstakademiet in Oslo presents to the students, collaborate with and aim to be part of. Besides the life in Oslo, this year's students visited the Piet Zwart Institute and the Witte de With in Rotterdam, D.O.R. Gallery and Wiels in Brussels, Casco and BAK in Utrecht, Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid and Das Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin.

First and foremost the emphasis has been on the contact with artists and other protagonists on the art scene, namely Michel Auder, Alice Creischer, Chto delat?/What is to be done?, Rolf Hoff, Leander Djønne, Dorothea von Hantelmann, Max Hinderer, Dan Kidner, Anja Kirschner, Camilla Løw, Anders Nordby, Vanessa Ohlraun, David Panos, Andreas Siekmann, Marko Stamenkovic, Fatos Ustek and everybody employed at Kunstakademiet.

A combination of integrity and outlook is the double focus we aim for at the MFA program at Kunstakademiet. As a result, we hope to continue and add to the discussion and creation of this vital scene.


HPJ