"Jording" / "Dyke Dreams"
Rogaland Kunstsenter is proud to present two solo exhibitions, Jording by Helene Espedal-Selvåg and Dyke Dreams by Anette Gellein, opening on 14 November 2024. The exhibitions make up two distinct, but equally relevant and timely, universes, brought together for the occasion under the same roof in the gallery at RKS. The exhibitions are supported by Bildende Kunstneres Hjelpefond (BKH), in recognition of the artistic quality of the projects and their contribution to the regional art scene in Rogaland.
Jording (Helene Espedal-Selvåg)
In Jording (2024), Helene Espedal-Selvåg invites the audience to come close to the forest – one of the earth's most important ecosystems. For nearly a year, she has returned to the same spot in Sørmarka, where she has, among other things, filmed the canopy of a cluster of beech trees. In a society moving at an ever-faster pace, Espedal-Selvåg has done the opposite. She has slowed down, studied and observed the changes around her.
In the video work Himling, you can follow these changes and experience how weather, wind and light shift over the course of a year. At the same time, the work documents the phenomenon of crown shyness, which occurs in the crowns of tall trees that grow side by side. Around the crown of each tree, an open zone forms, so that the branches never meet. This "touch aversion" gives the impression that the trees are not competing for a place in the sun, but sharing it equally among themselves.
The contrast is striking with the sculptural roots in Jording 1-5, which show the underground network that once gave life, but now lies lifeless on the floor. These roots once mirrored the tree's crown and ensured balance between the two elements. Now they have had to pay with their lives.
The sound of the abstracted flames crackling in the video work Bål gives the Charcoal drawings in the room a sense of memento mori – a reminder that we all must die one day.
About the artist
Helene Espedal-Selvåg (1967) MFA Kunstakademiet i Trondheim 1995 and Television Production (directing) from UiS in 2000.
Works across disciplines with installations, video, textiles and performative works. She is particularly interested in exploring the relationship between humans and nature, the intrinsic value of nature, and themes tied to ecology and natural philosophy. Her artistic practice includes outdoor installations and projects involving collaboration across disciplines. Espedal-Selvåg has taken part in several group and solo exhibitions, and also has curatorial experience. She is currently engaged with the artist-run gallery Studio 17.
Dyke Dreams (Anette Gellein)
Dyke Dreams (2024) by Anette Gellein is an installation that combines objects, sound and film. The film section is shot on 16mm analog film and takes the form of an erotic commercial that gradually transforms into a horror film, in which the characters claw their way through one another's bodies. The work draws inspiration from Kenneth Anger's Kustom Kar Kommandos (1965) and can be seen as a tribute to his iconic work. The film touches on the local oil industry, the Americanisation of Norwegian culture and queer loneliness. The film plays on a fictional historical oil past in Stavanger, blurring the boundaries between reality, dreams and fiction.