Sven Flygari Johansen
dal 10/11/2011 al 11/2/2012
Segnalato da
10/11/2011
Sven Flygari Johansen
Beaconsfield, London
Am I making up what really happened? The work links themes of indigenous culture, capitalist meltdown, patriotism and global politics with materials ranging from sticks and stones to complex computer programming. Code for all Flygari's digital works is written by Jonny Bradley with whom he has collaborated since 2001.
Svein Flygari Johansen is a creature of the forest and fjord. He spends the summer months
high up inside the Arctic Circle, wild salmon fishing on the river near which he grew up in
the northernmost city in the world – Alta. Otherwise he is based in Oslo engaged with the
international discourse of contemporary art. A fundamental identification with nature is at
the core of Flygari’s work where imagery from the organic world connects with high
technology.
The work links themes of indigenous culture, capitalist meltdown, patriotism and global
politics with materials ranging from sticks and stones to complex computer programming.
Code for all Flygari's digital works is written by Jonny Bradley with whom he has
collaborated since 2001.
Water is a motif that runs through Flygari’s artworks: his local Alta-Kautokeino waterway
was the site of the only instance of civil unrest in Norway's recent history: a political
controversy in 1978 that centred around Sámi land rights and had a huge impact on the
national psyche. The disjunction between ancient and contemporary cultural identities is a
recurring focus for his work and several earlier pieces on the theme will be recreated for
this exhibition, to complement a major new commission.
This will be the first time that Svein Flygari Johansen has exhibited in the UK, despite the
significant influence his work has had in Norway as an artist and curator. As part of the
project, Flygari has invited younger artists Frode Halvorsen and Jorid Levke Eide to make
new work for the ongoing FlatScreen programme in Beaconsfield's canteen gallery.
This is the third in the Beaconsfield series Phase, which turns the spotlight on mid-career
artists with whom the organisation has a significant relationship. Beaconsfield first worked
with Svein Flygari Johansen in 1999, co-curating British Links for Oslo's Nasjonalmuseet
for Kunst and Henie Onstad Kunstsenter.
Preview Friday 11 November from 6.30pm
Beaconsfield
22 Newport Street - London
Hours: Thursday-Sunday 11am-5pm
Free admission