Per Barclay - Oil Rooms

February 16–June 10, 2018

The Norwegian artist Per Barclay opens the new season at KODE, Friday, February 16.

Beautiful, yet brutal Oil rooms are a central part of Per Barclay’s oeuvre from the end of the 1980s until today. The works have mainly taken form as large format photographs of different interiors, where the floor is covered with oil, later also in other fluids such as wine, water, blood and milk. The primary effect is disquieting reflections—beautiful, yet brutal. The rooms he seeks range from palaces and churches to slaughterhouses and North Norwegian boathouses.

The exhibition Per Barclay. Oil Rooms at KODE will show a selection of works from this continuing project in Barclay’s artistic career, starting with his cover for Artforum in 1990 until the present day.

Commits to Norwegian contemporary art This is the beginning of a commitment to Norwegian contemporary art at the museum in the years to come, says KODE’s director Petter Snare. Snare was appointed as director in October 2017.

We want to focus on the rich and multilayered art scene in Norway—starting with Per Barclay. Barclay is one of the most prolific Norwegian artists, having exhibited extensively internationally through the last four decades.

About the artist Per Barclay (b. 1955) lives and works in Oslo and Turin. He was educated in Italy and has since exhibited extensively both at home and abroad. Barclay has been guest artist at the Bergen International Festival (2001), and he participated in the Venice Biennale in 1990. In 2017, Barclay had the opening exhibition of CCC OD in Tours, France. He has several upcoming projects this spring, including at Manifesta 12 and at OSL Contemporary.