Hilde Skancke Pedersen is an accomplished visual artist and writer, whose works are deeply rooted in the landscapes and nature of northern Norway and Sápmi, where she grew up and lives. Keenly aware of the fragile balances that characterize the Arctic flora and fauna, in her work she both underlines the necessity to evaluate our relationship to our environment, and outlines possible alliances by using recycled, upcycled and natural materials. Her dedication to work with this thematic in a holistic way is shown most poignantly in her work “Bassi várri – Sacred mountain” (2020–2021), a large textile work depicting an imaginary rendition of the mountains that are both entities of worship and vulnerable places threatened by mining and construction projects. This also points to the Sámi cultural heritage and underlines the special relationship that Indigenous people maintain with their land. The work itself was made entirely using second-hand and found t-shirts and sweaters in shades of grey. A new, smaller version of that piece will be presented in this exhibition.
Amongst Pedersen’s other inspirations is her connection to scenography, which she has been working with for many years, whether for film, TV or stage projects. Pedersen credits her experience with set designing as “giving (her) the courage to work in big formats, in many different techniques and materials.” This will be apparent at the exhibition at Soft Galleri, which will feature the monumental work “Magic Carpet” (2017-2021). At first glance, this visually stunning installation appears to represent a stained glass from a church, or maybe a circuit board. Upon closer inspection though, the viewer realizes that the carpet is entirely made of cast-off pill blister packs, from sleeping pills to cancer medicine and vitamins. A commentary on the healthcare system, on our ailing society, as well as on pollution,
Several other of Pedersen’s works will be on display in this solo exhibition, reflecting the impressive breadth of the artist’s craft, as well as highlighting themes that are at the heart of her body of work: awareness of the land and of nature, reflections on depictions of the physical and mental body, and the search for materials and volumes that can act as embodiments of space.
About the artist
Born in 1953 in Hammerfest, Hilde Skancke Pedersen has for some years been based in Guovdageaidnu in Finnmark, on the Norwegian side of Sámi. As a young artist in the 1970s, she studied at the Norwegian School of Crafts and Art Industry (Statens Håndverks- og kunstindustriskole), and later she also graduated from the Creative Writing program at the UiT (Forfatterstudiet, University of Tromsø). She started making a name for herself writing and performing in the 1990s and early 2000s, her texts being included in anthologies such as “Cappelen” in 1997, and performing in Kirkenes with Stellaris Danseteater (1996), at the Sámi Art Center (1999) The Festivals in Northern Norway (2001). At the same time, her career as a visual artist and as a curator also picked up pace. She curated exhibitions for the Sami Art Museum/Riddo Duottar Museat,
In the last decade, Pedersen’s recognition has increased both nationally and internationally, with performances in Bohuslan, Göteborg, Kautokeino (2011-2014), as well as New York (2015), and several art films, such as AENA – LAND (2016) , which has been shown at several art institutions including the National Museum of Norway and Moderna museet in Sweden, and FRAGILE (2021).
Most recently, Pedersen’s artistic agenda has been fully booked. She has developed and shown the performance and installation “KLIMATERRA” with Anitta Suikkari (2021 – 2022); her solo exhibition Vuoiŋŋastat has toured northern Norway in 2021 and 2022; and her works have been chosen as part of the opening of the new National Museum of Norway in Oslo, as well as for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in India. She is an artistic partner in the Dáiddadallu artist collective.
– Marion Bouvier and Camilla R. Nicolaisen
Curated by Marion Bouvier and Camilla R. Nicolaisen
About the curators
Marion Bouvier (b. 1988 in Lyon, France, lives in Tromsø) works as festival manager, editor and curator. Among other things, she is the director of Open Out Festival, a contemporary art festival with a focus on queer perspectives and “non-mainstream” themes, and festival director of NUFF (Nordic Young Film Festival). In addition, she is currently working on a series of publications about contemporary art scenes in the northern area. Marion also collaborates with Mondo Books where, among other things, she does Riso-printing.
Camilla R. Nicolaisen (b. 1988 in Lofoten, lives in Tromsø, Norway/Sápmi) is an artist and curator with studio space at the Coast – Troms County Cultural Centre. She has, among other things, a Bachelor in Ceramics from the Art and Design College in Bergen and a Master in Contemporary Art from the Academy of Fine Arts in Tromsø. In addition to being a co-founder and curator at Tromsø’s annual Open Out Festival, she also works as an art consultant, teaches Den Kulturelle Skolesekken (DKS) and is the current chairman of the board of Northern Norske Bildende Kunstnere (NNBK). Her own artistic practice involves film, drawing, ceramic sculptures, sound art and installations with natural materials, and she sees her practice both as an artist and curator as part of a larger global movement that challenges the dominant narratives related to colonialisation, gender norms and capitalism .
