Momentum 9 (alienation) logo, courtesy of Momentum Biennial
While this month has the art world astir over the upcoming Venice Biennale, June makes way for another landmark event: Momentum, the Nordic Biennial of Contemporary Art. Arguably the most exciting platform for contemporary art in the Nordic region, Momentum is held every two years in Moss, a town just outside of Oslo. While past editions of Momentum have seen themes such as “Try Again, Fail Again, Fail Better” in 2006 and “Tunnel Vision” in 2015, this year’s event will focus on various interpretations surrounding the concept of “Alienation”.
Work from over 30 artists hailing from all over the world will be exhibited at various venues around the city, including Momentum Kunsthall and Galleri F 15. Some artists have chosen to explore alienation as the locational and social displacement of refugees – a topic which has been dominating European news for the past two years – as well as the displacement caused by climate change. Alternatively, other artists have focused on alienation with regards to technological development, which has advanced at a pace that’s impossible to keep up with. In both situations, we are taken out of our comfort zones and pushed into the unknown – the alien – and left confused.
Momentum 9 brings together a wide range of pieces providing inter-disciplinary methods of understanding and explaining our fast-changing environments and how to deal with them. In order to avoid feelings of alienation within our own bodies, the biennial welcomes the alien as an opportunity to expand our minds.
Jone Kvie, Untitled (Carrier), 2006, photo by Anders Sune, courtesy of the artist
Jenna Sutela, Gut-Machine Poetry, 2017, Photo by Mikko Gaestel, courtesy of the artist
Patricia Piccinini, Atlas, Silicone, fiberglass, human hair, car paint, 84x54x50cm, 2012, Courtesy the artist
Momentum 9, Norway’s Biennial of Contemporary Art, takes place in Moss from 17 June to 11 October 2017