Lofoten International Art Festival
Disappearing Acts
28 August–27 September 2015
Opening: 28 August, 6pm
International press preview: 28 August, 1pm
Seminar programme: 29 August, noon
Jern & Bygg
Svolvær
Norway
Participating artists
Anna Ådahl, Sam Basu, Sissel Blystad, Eva La Cour & Kristian Poulsen, Ciarán Ó Dochartaigh, Jason Dodge, Benedict Drew, Fabien Giraud & Raphaël Siboni, Tue Greenfort, Roderick Hietbrink, Carl Johan Högberg, Hedwig Houben, Steinar Haga Kristensen, Juha Pekka Matias Laakkonen, Dennis McNulty, Mercedes Mühleisen, Isabel Nolan, Katja Novitskova, Émilie Pitoiset, Elizabeth Price, John Russell, Jon Benjamin Tallerås
Curated by Matt Packer and Arne Skaug Olsen
About Disappearing Acts
Titled Disappearing Acts, LIAF 2015 will take its thematic basis on ideas of human agency disappearing through the processes of history, ecology, and technology. Organised as a large-scale group exhibition in the Jern & Bygg premises in Svolvær, Disappearing Acts will feature works by 24 artists, including 11 new commissions. These commissions include work that addresses the context of the Lofoten Islands, its histories of environmental dependency and retreat—such as Juha Pekka Matias Laakkonen’s work, produced during his one-month stay on the remote island of Lillemolla outside Svolvær; and Roderick Hietbrink’s sculptures that will be submerged into the sea for a period of three months before being presented in the exhibition. Other artist commissions include Anna Ådahl, Sam Basu, Jason Dodge, Hedwig Houben, Dennis McNulty, Katja Novitskova, Émilie Pitoiset, John Russell, and Jon Benjamin Tallerås. The exhibition will be accompanied by a full public programme and a publication.
About Lofoten International Art Festival
Lofoten International Art Festival (LIAF) is a festival for contemporary art taking place in Lofoten, a cluster of islands located on the North West Coast of Norway, just above the Arctic Circle, every second year. The festival was first initiated in 1991, as a local art exhibition with a broad range of expressions and a regional profile. From 1999, the festival was given an international profile changing the name to Lofoten International Art Festival, and since 2009, the festival has been organised by The North Norwegian Art Center (NNKS) and LIAF’s artistic advisory board.
LIAF is made possible through the generous support from the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, Nordland County Council, Vågan Municipality, Troms County Council, Finnmark County Council, Arts Council Norway, The International Production Fund in Partnership with Outset England and Outset Netherlands, British Council Northern Ireland, Fritt Ord – The Freedom of Expression Foundation, Culture Ireland and Ellingsen Seafood A/S.
Visiting LIAF
Lofoten International Art Festival takes place in the municipality of Vågan in the Lofoten archipelago. By air you can travel via Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Bodø Airport and then continue by plane to Svolvær or Leknes Airport, both located in Lofoten. You can also continue from Bodø by boat. Alternatively you can fly to Harstad/Narvik-Evenes Airport directly from Oslo, then take a bus or rent a car to Svolvær.
For international press inquiries, please contact Emma Pettit or Stephanie Knox at Margaret_ on
T +44 (0) 20 7923 2861 / emma [at] margaretlondon.com / stephanie [at] margaretlondon.com
