New painting to NHH
The NHH board participated in the celebration of a new painting by Norwegian artist Ida Ekblad that was launched today. NHH has got the painting through KORO - Public Art Norway. "This art work connects to the works of Inger Sitter, Sissel Blystad and Frida Hansen", said art consultant Marie Buskov in KORO.
At the ceremony today, art consultant Marie Buskov said:
- Ida Ekblad (b. 1980) is one of Norway's leading young artists. In a few years she has managed to establish a brilliant international career, and has had separate exhibitions at prestigious institutions worldwide, both at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Oslo) and most recently in the Kunsthalle Zurich. Ida Ekblad is an artist Norway should be proud of. Thanks to her tireless work capacity and talent, she is at an international level.
The artist herself did not participate in the celebration.
KORO - Public Art Norway
The painting has come to NHH as a result of KORO - Public Art Norway. KORO's main task is to ensure that as many people as possible can experience high quality art in public indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the country. Generally, funds for art are triggered in connection with new buildings, but there is also a scheme where state institutions that rent buildings - such as NHH - can apply for art.
About two years ago, NHH applied for KORO's LES scheme for art for the Service Building, and the art committee at KORO chose NHH as one of the places they wanted to work with.
At NHH there is a good collection of renowned artists from before, including Sissel Blystad's stonework on the floor in parts of the Service Building, Inger Sitter's mural and a textile work by Frida Hansen at the main entrance. The KORO committee wanted to choose a work that could connect to these other works, and to the architecture of the room.
ABOUT THE PAINTING
The art consultant continued:
"The painting has an abstract composition and is based on old lace works. The artist has mixed these with patterns and structures from her imagination, as well as a pattern from a high neck sweater she used when she was five years old.
"The paint strokes are clear and are made with a unique technique developed by Ida himself, which gives the paint extra thickness. Something called industrial plastisol is mixed with a so-called "puff medium" from the textile printing industry, and heated up so that the paint grows. This allows the paint to lay as a matte and thick emblem on the canvas, and gives a distinctive materiality. This emphasizes both the textile, almost like a handmade rug, or hints at an almost caricatured pasta oil painting."
"Ida Ekblad's painting activates the staircase in a nice way. It has a good energy and helps to highlight the distinctive colours of the architecture. When later reopened to the main entrance and the high block you will more easily see the connection to Inger Sitter and Frida Hansen. At the same time, it is a personal, expressive and colourful work."
TO INSPIRE
"We wanted to introduce the NHH students to a significant artist - a young, female, significant artist. When the painting was mounted last week, several passers-by stopped and remarked: This is new, we have not seen this before? Who is the artist?", says Marie Buskov.
"We hope this will be an inspiration for tomorrow's leaders, and we hope the painting will stick in the students' visual awareness. Enjoy this piece of art, NHH!"