Oil Rooms
February 16–June 10, 2018
Starting with Per Barclay’s iconic Oil Rooms, KODE’s new director commits to presenting Norwegian contemporary art at the museum.
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.
About the museum
KODE is one of the largest museums for art, craft, design and music in the Nordic countries. Situated in Bergen, Norway, with collections spanning from the Renaissance to Contemporary Art. KODE holds more than 43,000 works, including world class collections of Edvard Munch and Nikolai Astrup, as well as several composer homes including Edvard Grieg’s Troldhaugen.
Program for the opening weekend
Friday, February 16, 7pm: opening
Tårnsalen, KODE 4
Saturday, February 17, 1pm
Per Barclay in conversation with KODE’s director Petter Snare
Sunday, February 18, 1pm and 2pm
Guided tour of the exhibition
The exhibition runs from February 16–June 10, 2018.
