Signe Solberg:
De siste som står og de første som våkner

05. October – 05. November 2023

Free entrance

Signe Solberg 2023 TSSK Foto Susann Jamtøy 012

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Signe Solberg works with sculpture, installation, and site-specific art. Her works engage directly with space, architecture, and landscapes, with narratives that evolve and expand over time. The artworks, or parts of them, are often reused, reconfigured, and placed in new contexts. The body's capacity and the visibility of the hands are central in her direct work with metal and other industrial materials, where the extremes are tested in relation to her own physicality.

In her solo exhibition at the Trøndelag Center for Contemporary Art, Solberg explores issues related to the monumental and how we attribute significance to physical objects. With a long historical background, monuments often serve to preserve memories - historical, geographical, and symbolic. They can convey freedom, foster collective identity and community, or conversely, demonstrate power and oppression. Preserving or demolishing monuments holds great symbolic importance in times of war and conflict.

Signe Solberg typically works with large, monumental sculptures made of welded metal in public spaces. In her solo exhibition at TSSK, metal has been partially replaced by ceramic tiles, and large sculptures have been brought down to a 1:1 scale in relation to the audience.

In the exhibition, Solberg presents seven sculptures, some of which function as fountains with flowing water, evoking thoughts of colorful parks and gardens.

In her work on the sculptures, Solberg has focused on fragility and intimacy. While fountains usually shoot water in sculptural forms, Solberg's sculptures are leaking. Water trickles out through cracks and openings, adding a meditative acoustic element to the art experience. By giving her sculptures titles like "Alle unger gråter" (All Children Cry) and " Da kroppen ble delt i to og så i tre" (When the Body was Split in Two and then in Three) and " Hold det trygt hold det i live" (Keep it Safe, Keep it Alive), the artist points to the soft and fragile aspects of existence, highlighting how the fascination with the monumental and grandiose often fails to grasp this.

Signe Solberg herself states:

"We are accustomed to monuments being associated with grandeur, prominent figures in society, or significant events. I want to break it down to powerful monuments about events that constantly affect the individual, where I sense an absence of visibility and language. Around grief, loneliness, loss, giving life, or losing a life. My intention is to acknowledge and recognize human experiences that are often trivialized or overlooked. By visualizing the linguistic absence, the works may perhaps open up to words."

Signe Solberg

Signe Solberg (b. 1985, Froland) is based in Hobøl, Indre Østfold. She is a graduate of the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and primarily works with sculpture, installation, and site-specific art. She has had solo exhibitions at venues such as Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Vigeland Museum, and Galleri FORMAT. She has made temporary art projects in public spaces at Oslo Central Station and the traveling sculpture project ENTER, as well as permanent installations at Nye Kirkenes Sykehus, Norsk Helsearkiv, Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Kolbotn School, the research vessel REV Ocean, and BARA Eiendom in Bergen. Her works have been acquired by institutions including Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, Oslo Municipality's art collection, Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Norges Bank, GARD, as well as private collectors.

In 2023, she is featured in group exhibitions at Estudio Figueroa-Vives in Havana, Cuba, and Gallery Hioco Delany in Antwerp, Belgium, as well as a solo exhibition at the Trøndelag Center for Contemporary Art.

Signe Solberg has received project support from the Arts and Culture Norway and from Billedkunstnernes Vederlagsfond.

Musical Performance by Åsmund Solberg

On the opening night, there will be a musical performance by musician Åsmund Solberg, who will play among the sculptures.

Åsmund Solberg is a musician and works as a performer and composer. His musical foundation lies in folk music and jazz. In 2020, he was nominated for the Spellemann Prize and won the Folkelarm Prize for the duo album "Heimespel" together with hardanger fiddle player Johanne Flottorp.