Who has the power to define the value of life and death, living creatures or things? What´s good food or not, and what´s worth spending time on? These are questions Sunderø Gallery artist Tove Kommedal addresses both in her works and in her thought provoking book dEFINISJONSMAKT (The Power to define). At Oppland Art Centre you may view works by this intriguing artist, as well as works by Hans Kristian Borchgrevink Hansen and Ellen Henriette Suhrke.
Tove Kommedal has for many years used meditations on nature and culture as base for her artistic practice. In this, questions of environmental importance is vital. Her projects have documentary elements, but they also leave room for the poetic and unexpected. In the exhibition at Oppland the artist shows works based on her studies of crows. Some years ago Kommedal started to take interest in the shooting down of the crow populations at Jæren, West of Norway. The killings were part of an officially runned attempt to regulate the vast amount of crows in the area, and made Kommedal wonder why these birds were so despised.
With the phenomenon of crows as starting point Kommedal has developed her research into a complex assembly of power critique, myths and ecological thinking. This has led her into both nutritional and aesthetic studies, that examines the relationship between man and nature, emotions and knowledge, dreams and rituals. But Kommedal is also interested in the concept of definition power as an extended term. The font and spelling of the title refers also to dOCUMENTA, regarded as one of the world’s most important art musters – with an immense definition power over the international contemporary art scene.
Kommedal´s works are developed through conversations, exchanges and interactions with other people. She works within several artistic expressions and medias and her practice is characterized by socio-political undertones. Her oeuvre is characterized by research-based approaches and experimenting with art and the artist potential for social and political influence.
This is definitely an artist we are looking forward to follow in years to come!
View works by Kommedal available at our gallery shop.
Adress: Oppland Art Centre
Kirkegata 68, 2609 Lillehammer
The exhibition will be open until Sunday 23 April.
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 12-16
