The Installation View: BABEL

Several of you guys have asked for better shots of the show, and it's not the easiest one to represent, but here's a few
shots to give you an idea! We blocked out 1/2 of the windows for my new projection and for Gavin's piece, which was a composite of footage that he shot while here in Trondheim. He requested simply the back wall, which left me the whole front half. I greatly minimized what I had planned to exhibit, for the sake of minimalism and not to overwhelm his work or my own, for that matter. I hung only one of six mural prints I brought and a copy of "You the Vandal" shown on a TV. The other three installations were made in the last 2 1/2 weeks:

*DRAWN TO QUARTER: Vitriolic Auction Points for the contemporary Artist (the splayed outline of my body with "prices"- double click on a picture for a bigger view)
*LETTER TO ERIK RAUDE (the black branch with gold tips, black death pennant and a letter attached with flesh colored yarn to a letter addressed to the ship that is the Norwegian equivalent of the Valdez)
*ACTUS to POTENTIA: A study in heraldic projection (including the video (((LA MEZCLA))) shown a few entries below)

Voila!

At the BABEL opening!

MEIOSIS: In the landscape was well attended last Friday night! Almost all the artists from LKV came down, wishing us congratulations and looking very thoroughly at all the art! Ah, if only we took such time in the States! Cathrine introduced Gavin (pictured, with hat) and I in Norwegian to a round of applause and 'Skoal' as we toasted the crowd and waited for questions that never came! Compliments were routed through Cathrine, however, and people were impressed and thought the show 'mystical, peaceful and witty.' The trio of trouble, my new friends, pictured- (L to R) Øyvind, Hovårt and Stefffen rallied for the occasion and we wandered out into the wilds of Trondheim for birthday celebrations, storytelling, Cava, sled demonstrations and bouncer tiffs and loud carrying on at Bruk Bar, the local place that everyone seems to end up at. Quite a night!

Jan Freuchen

 

BABEL art space gallery here in Trondheim is a space for works in progress and established exhibitions. My show with Gavin Peacock entitled "Meiosis: In the Landscape" is up right now, after opening on Friday night. The previous show was the third part in a series called Newspeak. The piece pictured above was entitled "Sa hatten til koppen," by Jan Freuchen , a young Norwegian artist, whose brilliant wit combining art babble, a hat and coffee cup, with obvious references to Beuys. The sound piece installed within made a lasting impression that kept my busy brain occupied for a good while.