“As an artist whose work focuses on water remediation, I was particularly excited to visit Oslo and see a city that so appreciates its water, and takes care to keep it healthy and beautiful. The newly restored facilities of the Academy of Art are impressive—spacious and filled with light from skylights and glass walls. And they are beautifully situated overlooking the river. The graduate students were very engaged and we had a rich discussion about project possibilities and different approaches to studio practices.”
– Jackie Brookner, Artist Exchange Oslo 2013
In September of 2013, Art in Embassies invited U. S. artist and educator Jackie Brookner to travel to Oslo, Norway, for an Artist Exchange. The focus of her exchange was to share her ecological art practice and examples of current and previous projects with over 30 students at the KUNSTHØGSKOLEN I OSLO | OSLO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF THE ARTS. During her presentation, the artist explored leading a master class for participants interested in collaborative art in the public realm. To get a better sense of the Oslo contemporary art scene, she met with representatives at the Henie Onstad Art Centre and viewed Kristin Nordeval’s installation at Kunsternes Hus. Brookner went to a performance at the National Theatre that was part of Ultima—Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, which frequently brings together sculptural installations and performing arts. She also attended The Second International Bateson Symposium in Oslo: “Globalization and the Roots of the Ecological Crisis” to gain insight into Norwegian perspectives on current socio-ecological issues. Hosted by the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo, the symposium also provided an opportunity to meet members of that community who might be collaborators or consultants for future programming.
