Regional exhibition of the Norwegian Association of Arts and Crafts 2009 - POTENTIAL

 

Translated from the Norwegian by Kirsti Spaven

The foreword in Russian (pdf)

Applied art as a form of expression sits right in the centre of the rich and vibrant craft traditions so abundant in the Barents Region. Applied art is constantly facing the challenges and opportunities of combining the familiar with the innovative in terms of the use of techniques and the choice of materials. Figuratively speaking we all have a lot to learn from artists working in this field.

The works exhibited in POTENTIAL will have the ability to inspire and surprise – as well as to provoke. Through creation - and re-creation – these artistic expressions mirror our contemporary world and give fresh impulses and inspiration to related fields like design. Applied art is also an art form with great potential for engaging a wide range of people. That is precisely why it is such an important path to follow in the creation of a robust collaborative, cross-border network in the cultural field between people in the Barents Region. This is what cross-cultural cooperation is all about.

It may be true that applied art as an art form is viewed in a different context and given a somewhat different place and function in Russia and in Norway. However, the different viewpoints held by our two countries in this respect ought to be seen as an exciting challenge in the task of strengthening this art form across the Barents Region. The exhibition, POTENTIAL, could be a new and important step in the direction of the friendly and close cooperation we would like to achieve between artists in the region.  The plan is for the exhibition to be shown in both Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in order to provide the opportunity and space for Norwegian and Russian colleagues to meet. Such an exchange of ideas and experiences would contribute to the development of a more nuanced picture of our two countries.

The Norwegian Government’s Northern Area strategy is comprehensive and ambitious. Our core aim is to enable the Barents Region to meet future challenges and tasks, with anchor points in the experience, knowledge and creative force of its people. We are talking about a region which is often referred to as four nations with five peoples. However, the concept of a fifth people needs qualifying, as the native population with roots in the Barents Region is not necessarily homogenous but a diverse group with different traditions and artistic expression. One of the tasks of regional cultural cooperation is to provide space and scope for all this diversity. Sami and Norwegian contributions to such regional cooperation must be strong and visible.  POTENTIAL is an expression of such a force.

Cultural cooperation has a central position within the framework of the Norwegian Government’s Northern Areas strategy. The applied art community has been a committed cooperation partner throughout the four years that we have been working alongside authorities and organisations in Northern Norway in order to reach the goals set out in the strategy for the Northern Areas. The exhibition Konstruksjoner, featuring Norwegian contemporary art, was one of the highlights of the Barentsdagene/Barents-Spektakel at Kirkenes in 2008, and was later shown in Murmansk.

I am pleased that the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been able to contribute to this assembly of North-Norwegian artists in POTENTIAL, along with the Barents Secretariat, BarentsKult and the Arts Council of Norway. The collaboration by national, regional and local authorities alike in the mounting of this exhibition shows how highly regarded applied art is in the cultural life of Northern Norway.

I congratulate the North-Norwegian Association of Arts and Crafts and the Art Museum of Northern Norway on the regional exhibition, POTENTIAL. This is yet another manifestation of the high level and power of applied art in Northern Norway. I wish you luck with the exhibition and I hope that it will contribute to further growth in the contact and cooperation between applied artists across the Barents Region.

Oslo, May - June 2009

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Art Museum of Northern Norway