The Opening
RASK Contemporary art as a resource and link between three coastal municipalities in the Nordic countries, Norway, Island and Denmark - seminars, working processes and exhibition.
Seven artists came at Læsø in Denmark the 3th august. After 12 days with hard work, an exhibition was conducted at the Læsø Kunsthal and outside at the front of the building. A seminar was held at the Bødehus in the centre of Østerby harbour. Involvement and engagement from the locals made that it became a great experience for all of the participants.
Partisipating artists:
Nina Maria Kleivan (DK) - videowork
Frode Gundorf (DK) - videowork
Janne Aas (N) - performance
Hrafnhildur Sigurðardóttir (IS) - found objects
Rune Johansen (N) - Photo
Mona Eckhoff Sørmo (N) - Installation
Heidi Rognskog Mella (N) - Installation
The Seminar
The work
Conference host, Leif Ladefoged. Culture consultant Læsø Kommune
"5000 år på gyngende grunn" Jens Morten Hansen, Master of Science in geology, former director of the Research Board, Denmark
"All the world in one place" Hrafnhildur Sigurðardóttir
visual artist and founder of Nes Artist in residency Skagaströnd.
"A city in the sea" Laila Skaret cultural consultant Smøla Municipal
"The space between us" Jon Eirik Lundberg, cand. mag. in philosophy. CEO of Læsø Kunsthal
Title: "Destroying Beauty" Material: video projection, model boats and wooden enclosure.
"It can be a challenge to come to a foreign place and carry out work in a short time and with the limitations it brings. We chose to take the starting point in Læsøs history that deals with the many ships stranded on Læsøs sandbanks"
Rune talks and shows photos taken at Veiholmen, Skagaströnd and Læsø in conjunction with the Rask project.
"Læsø was a real holiday paradise. Lots of tourists, nice weather, nice beaches, cycle routes and good food and drink. It was almost too beautiful for me and the motives i prefers to work with. Apart from depopulation, there was little that reminded me of Veiholmen and Skagaströnd. Here was a majority of houses for sale. It was sad to cycle around the island to see all the salesigns. The landscape was flat with scattered houses around the island."
Title of the work to the left “Læsø Blues" Material: found plastic objects at the beach.
Title of the work to the right "No more rain" Material: recycled oilskins.
"I had been walking at the beach and looking into containers to try to find raw materials for my work: I actually went for a long walk along the beach from Østerby and down to Bløden Hale, and I found very little waste material, and it is impressive. In the other two countries that we had the project, I have found a lot waste on the coast - but very little on the Læsøs beaches - at least not that day I was walking along the beach. In turn I saw a discarded orange raincoat in a container. I washed the raincoat and then cut it into very small pieces, about 1x1 cm, and then drew with a ballpoint pen - small flowers on the coat. Then I put them on needles and mounted all these little pieces of orange raincoat in a fine pattern. The work can be seen as it fills about 3 x 4 meters on a white wall at Læsø kunsthal. I like the idea that used or discarded things get new life"
Title: "think of what they have been through and they still insists" Material: wood from old boats and rebars.
Title: "Bzz Bzz Bzzzz - confessions of a bee queen" Performance
"The inspiration for my Bie-performance at Læsø came when I became aware that there were many beekeepers at the island. It evolved into a study about bees and their life. The actual performance, on the opening day of the exhibition, was an attempt to be as bee-like as possible, after studying bees' movements, swarming and buzzing. Simply entering in the bi-cal universe with my effort to make the best suitable costume."
Title: “Eawakening” Material, Material: wood from old boats and rebars
"On the north side of Læsø - Østerbyhavn lies a shipyard that is still repairs old fish cutters in oak. Craftsmen at the harbor has become known far beyond Læsø. Here comes ships from all of Scandinavia to get the necessary overhaul. Side boards and rising that must be replaced are changed by new boards that are shaped by craftsmen who know their subject to its precision. They handles, presses and cast new boards and rising - no standard! The old boards that are damaged or rotten are placed on pallets for removal and burning. This was the material we wanted to work with. The work got the title; "think of what they have been through and they still insists". It came by itself. The material still speaks to us, and we wanted to remind us of the boat's importance for our existence. The second work titled "eawakening" reminds us of the childish glance, when everything is created in our own image - everything becomes boats - if it is far - has a dutt - a nail rises from a piece of wood - it's a boat - everything is a boat .... and we can travel further."
Nina Maria Kleivan and Frode Gundrof Nielsen (DK)
Heidi Rognksog Mella and Mona Eckhoff Sørmo (N)
Hrafnhildur Sigurðardóttir (IS)
Rune Johansen (N)
Janne Aas (N)
Press coverage
