4th Nordic Festival of Contemporary Art
2 September – 15 October
Professional preview: Friday 1 September
Moss, Norway
www.momentum.no
Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better.
Endre Aalrust & Thomas Kilpper / Lara Almárcegui / Johanna Billing / Gerard Byrne / Phil Collins / Copenhagen Free University / Kajsa Dahlberg / Edvard Gran / Tue Greenfort / Jeppe Hein / Knut Henrik Henriksen / Sergej Jensen / Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen / Ragnar Kjartansson / Joachim Koester / Juozas Laivys / Camilla Løw / Talleiv Taro Manum / Michaela Meise / Rosalind Nashashibi / Romantic Geographic Society / Egill Sæbjörnsson / Michael Sailstorfer / Lucy Skaer / Joanne Tatham & Tom O’Sullivan / Mark Titchner / Sue Tompkins / Lars Vilks
Curated by Annette Kierulf and Mark Sladen
Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better. is the central exhibition of Momentum 2006, the Nordic festival of contemporary art held in Moss in Norway. The exhibition includes 31 artists and artists groups from across northern Europe, and the majority of the works have been made especially for Moss. Many of them touch on the theme of absurdity as reflected in the title of the exhibition, which comes from the writer Samuel Beckett.
The town of Moss is famous for its smell, derived from a paper factory, and Tue Greenfort has created a work in which he uses a byproduct of this factory to make ice cream. Many ex-industrial spaces in Moss are being re-developed, but Lara Almárceguis work moves in the opposite direction, preserving a piece of wasteland for a year. Ragnar Kjartansson is creating an ongoing performance in an old barn on the edge of town, acting out the life of a stereotypically miserable Scandinavian male. And in a reversal of the usual model for site-responsive works, Phil Collins has travelled to Kenya to create a bittersweet account of Norwegian aid projects in the country.
In its previous incarnations Momentum has been a festival of emerging Nordic artists, but in 2006 the event has been expanded to include a wider range of participants. The main exhibition is divided between the Moss Brewery, the long-established Gallery F15, and a number of outdoor sites. The festival also includes a number of independent projects and events.
Independent projects
Regarding Others
Amar Kanwar / Johanna Domke / Nanna Debois Buhl / Sergey Bratkov / Christina David / Katja Høst / Astrid Skumsrud Johansen /Tova Mozard / Marius Mørch/ Charlotte Thiis-Evensen / Ulrik Weck
For this film programme artist and journalist Charlotte Thiis-Evensen has brought together a selection of works employing documentary strategies.
Imagine the Universe Burst into Song
Bård Ask / Martin Skauen / Sofie Berntsen / Eline McGeorge / Christian Hoel Schønhaug / Lars Monrad Vaage / Tone Kristin Bjordam
This group exhibition, curated by Ida Kierulf and Helga Marie Nordby, presents seven young Norwegian artists whose work demonstrates a longing for the romantic.
Domestic Affairs
Lene Ask / Francisca Benitez / Zachary Fabri / Mai Hofstad Gunnes / Jesper Nordahl / Julika Rudelius
The artist-led Project 0047 presents an exhibition of six artists who explore the relationship between self and other.
Torpedo and Aipotu
The artists collective aiPotu and the art bookshop Torpedo launch the aiPotu Travel guide a book based on meetings that occurred during aiPotus travel projects.
Momentum, what now? / Culture Channel
Jon Løvøen
For this video piece artist Jon Løvøen invited figures in the Norwegian art scene to participate in his satirical debate forum, Culture Channel.
The festival programme is curated by Ole Slyngstadli.
Further information
For press enquiries contact Ragna Kronstad, Head of Communications
( 47 93 49 74 25 / rk@momentum.no)
For other information see www.momentum.no
Momentum is organized by Østfold County Galleries, Punkt Ö.
