Momentum 2006

Momentum is the Nordic festival of contemporary art, held in the town of Moss in Norway. In its previous incarnations Momentum has been a festival of emerging Nordic artists, but in 2006 the event expands to include artists from a large number of northern European cities, including Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, Helsinki, London, Malmö, Reykjavik, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Vilnius. The curators are Annette Kierulf (Director, Gallery By the Way, Bergen) and Mark Sladen (Senior Curator, Barbican Centre, London).

Momentum 2006 includes a number of works created especially for the project. The town of Moss is famous for its smell, derived from a paper factory, and Tue Greenfort is creating a work in which he will use a byproduct of this factory to make ice cream. Many ex-industrial spaces in Moss are being re-developed, but Lara Almarcegui’s work moves in the opposite direction, preserving a piece of wasteland for public use. And in a reversal of the usual model for site-responsive works, Phil Collins is traveling to Kenya to explore the legacy of Norwegian aid projects in the country.

Momentum 2006 takes its title from a Samuel Beckett text: ‘Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ Many of the featured artists have an engagement with absurdity – and often their works are based on misappropriation or misconstruction – but it is an absurdity combined with an ongoing, self-critical endeavour.

Momentum 2006 is being shown in a converted industrial space called the Brewery, the long-established Gallery F15 on the edge of town, and a variety of public sites. In addition to the main exhibition, the festival includes a number of independent projects and events.

Independent projects

“Regarding Others” Amar Kanwar / Johanna Domke / Nanna Debois Buhl / Sergey Bratkov / Christina David / Katja Høst / Astrid Skumsrud Johansen /Tova Mozard / Marius Mørch/ Charlotte Thiis-Evensen / Ulrik Weck For this film programme artist and journalist Charlotte Thiis-Evensen has brought together a selection of works employing documentary strategies.

“Imagine the Universe Burst into Song” Bård Ask / Martin Skauen / Sofie Berntsen / Eline McGeorge / Christian Hoel Schønhaug / Lars Monrad Vaage / Tone Kristin Bjordam This group exhibition, curated by Ida Kierulf and Helga Marie Nordby, presents seven young Norwegian artists whose work demonstrates a longing for the romantic.

“Domestic Affairs” Lene Ask / Francisca Benitez / Zachary Fabri / Mai Hofstad Gunnes / Jesper Nordahl / Julika Rudelius The artist-led Project 0047 presents an exhibition of six artists who explore the relationship between self and other.

“Torpedo and Aipotu” The artists’ collective aiPotu and the art bookshop Torpedo launch the aiPotu Travel guide – a book based on meetings that occurred during aiPotu’s travel projects.

“Momentum, what now? / Culture Channel” Jon Løvøen For this video piece artist Jon Løvøen invited figures in the Norwegian art scene to participate in his satirical debate forum, Culture Channel.

The festival programme is curated by Ole Slyngstadli.

Pressetext

Momentum 2006
4th Nordic Festival of Contemporary Art
Festival Programmkurator: Ole Slyngstadli

"Try again. Fail again. Fail Better." / Hauptausstellung
Kuratoren: Annette Kierulf, Mark Sladen
KünstlerInnen: Endre Aalrust & Thomas Kilpper, Lara Almarcegui, Johanna Billing, Gerard Byrne, Phil Collins, Copenhagen Free University, Kajsa Dahlberg, Edvard Gran, Tue Greenfort, Jeppe Hein, Knut Henrik Henriksen, Sergej Jensen, Tellervo Kalleinen & Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, Ragnar Kjartansson, Joachim Koester, Juozas Laivys, Camilla Low, Talleiv Taro Manum, Michaela Meise, Rosalind Nashashibi, Romantic Geographic Society , Egill Saebjörnsson, Michael Sailstorfer, Lucy Skaer, Joanne Tatham & Tom O´Sullivan, Mark Titchner, Sue Tompkins, Lars Vilks

Independent projects
Kuratoren: Charlotte Thiis-Evensen, Ida Kierulf, Helga Marie Nordby
KünstlerInnen: Amar Kanwar, Johanna Domke, Nanna Debois Buhl, Sergej Bratkow, Christina David, Katja Host, Astrid Skumsrud Johansen, Tova Mozard, Marius Morch, Charlotte Thiis-Evensen, Ulrik Weck, Bard Ask, Martin Skauen, Sofie Berntsen, Eline McGeorge, Christian Hoel Schonhaug, Lars Monrad Vaage, Tone Kristin Bjordam, Lene Ask, Francisca Benitez, Zachary Fabri, Mai Hofstad Gunnes, Jesper Nordahl, Julika Rudelius, aiPotu Collective , Jon Lovoen ...