OSLO.- The National Museum of Norway, Oslo, presents the first retrospective dedicated to A K Dolven (b. 1953, Oslo), one of the most internationally acclaimed Norwegian artists working today. Entitled amazon, this is the most comprehensive exhibition of Dolven’s work to date, and marks the museum’s first solo show of a contemporary Norwegian artist since its opening in 2022.
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Spanning over 80 works from the 1980s to the present day, the exhibition will showcase the full breadth of Dolven’s multidisciplinary practice across paintings, films, installations, sculpture, photographs, sound and photography. From large site-specific installations to intimate video projections, the works range in scale from the monumental to the minimal, employing a wide variety of materials and means of expression.
“I’d never been particularly drawn to the idea of a retrospective,” says A K Dolven. “But when the National Museum asked, I couldn’t say no. It felt like the right moment - a way to move forward by reflecting on the past, as part of something new. This journey through time has been very positive and affirming. Looking back over 40 years, I see how everything connects, how it’s all me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share this with the world, of which we’re all a part."
Introspective and ethereal, Dolven’s work is deeply inspired by the natural environment, particularly in relation to universal themes of time and human experience. The Northern Norwegian landscape plays an essential role in Dolven’s work: whether living in Berlin, London or Oslo, the artist has returned regularly to her home and studio in Kvalnes, Lofoten. Her work often incorporates elements from these surroundings such as snow, sunlight, birdsong and the horizon line, and even the use of striped Arctic marble in recent sculptures.
“This exhibition will be a unique opportunity for visitors to explore a body of work that is consistently innovative and surprising, but also encourages quiet contemplation of our place in the world that surrounds us”, says Ann Gallagher, guest curator for the exhibition and former Director of Collections, British Art, at Tate in London.
Alongside these environmental themes, human presence is a defining feature of Dolven’s work. This is often indirect, implied by the use of fingertips as a tool to apply paint, or the representation of shadows and breath to signify life. She also incorporates solitary female figures or bodies, referencing mythology and art history through a contemporary lens: in one series of video installations, she reimagines a series of Munch paintings from the museum’s collection, giving the female protagonists greater agency. The exhibition’s titular work, amazon, offers a contemporary reading of the famous female warriors of Greek myth through close-up images of a female archer, an example of Dolven’s ongoing engagement with questions of gender, strength and resilience.
As well as utilising the full spatial potential of the museum’s Light Hall, the exhibition will expand across the rooftop terrace and other public and outdoor areas. Works will also be displayed throughout the permanent galleries, evoking Dolven’s ongoing direct engagement with major Nordic and Scandinavian artists in the museum’s collection. These include, in addition to Munch, the prominent Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946), and the iconic painter of Norwegian coastal landscapes, Peder Balke (1804-1887) – immersing visitors in a compelling dialogue between Dolven’s contemporary practice and the Nordic art canon.
Ingrid Røynesdal, Director of the National Museum, commented: “This exhibition marks a milestone for the National Museum. I’m especially pleased that it takes shape through the work of A K Dolven, one of Norway’s foremost contemporary artists. My hope is that this ambitious presentation will introduce her remarkable practice to new audiences, both here in Norway and internationally.”
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive publication by the museum, cataloguing all exhibited works and including both retrospective and newly commissioned texts, alongside photographs and archival materials from Dolven’s career. In addition, the museum shop will issue a limited-edition sketchbook - replicating those Dolven has used throughout her career - each containing a handwritten message from the artist.
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