Photo by Marius hauge
LOCUS is an artist run independent gallery space and a small publishing house established in 2006 by artists Thale Fastvold and Tanja Thorjussen.
As a nomadic and fluctuating entity LOCUS produce exhibitions and presents artists in various locations nationally and internationally. Based in Oslo at Grünerløkka Lufthavn, LOCUS has a studio / showroom and hosts various events. Contact: [email protected] // Instagram: Locus_Oslo |
Thale Blix Fastvold (b. 1978) is a Norwegian visual artist working primarily with photography, film and performance art. Thematically within the frameworks of eco feminism, inter-species-collaborations and the more-than-human intelligence, her work aims to utilise artistic research as a response to current ecological challenges. She believes collaborations, communication and speculative storytelling is essential to envision new and more sustainable futures. She has a BA in photography from Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, a Cand.mag (MA) in Art History and Literature from the University of Oslo, is educated a curator from Telemark University and has from 2018 been the elected Chairwoman of Forbundet Frie Fotografer (Norwegian association of camera based artists). www.thalefastvold.com
Tanja Thorjussen (b. 1970) is an artist living in Oslo (NO). Her artistic medium spans between drawing, sculpture, performance and art in public space. Through speculative research her artistic practice revolves around how ancient art can inform the present. At the upcoming exhibition at Archeological Museum – University of Stavanger (NO) in 2023 she is making artworks about historical objects from the collection, speculating on its meaning and use through drawing and intuitive listening through artistic methodology. Her current artistic focus is on the mystic and spiritual in nature and bodies of water, hydrofeminism, and the science embedded in indigenous knowledge and ancient mythology. Thorjussen holds a BFA from KHIB in Bergen (NO) and Parsons The New School in New York (USA) and educated as curator from Telemark University and from 2019 elected chairwoman of Tegnerforbundet (The Norwegian Drawing Association) www.tanjathorjussen.com |
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2023:
- LOCUS is participating at the ASWM Conference: Waters of Life: Exploring Mythos, Divinity, Beings, and Ecology in Syracuse New York with the performance "River Sisters: Finsevatn (NO) & Seneca River (NY, USA) More info HERE |
"River Sisters Akerselva & River Great Ouse" performance at Groundwork Gallery, Kings Lynn (UK) 2022. Photo by Marina Velez Vago.
Gilded Tree performance nr 6 Svartkulp, Oslo Norway
Photo by Margarida Paiva
This edition of the performance was created for video with trees, birds, plants and ants as our audience. The video was published on the Artists for Plants platform in sosial media on instagram: @artists_for_plants and facebook: Artists for plants |
Art as sanctuary and catalyst in a time of environmental change
In our ongoing artistic research on the spiritual in art we see a strong connection between how we respond to environmental issues like climate change, species extinction and global warming, and our renewed spiritual interest and connection to earth and nature. How can art create empathy, and inspire change? How can we foster a loving dialog between nature and humans? How can art help us envision alternative futures based on deeper and broader ways of communication, how can we humans get better at listening to nature and other species? We see our gilded tree performance series as an attempted dialog, where we try to connect with the trees and aim to honor the trees we interact with through the historically traditional human medium of gilding something sacred. We see a shift from the anthropos/human-centered worldview and to a broader, more circular and balanced way of living and understanding of the world. This includes honoring and nurturing all aspects of nature from dryland to wetland. We have recently made public art projects for bees with our Bee Sanctuary Garden Harriet Backers Hage in Oslo 2018 and 2019 (Funded by Bydel St.Hanshaugen), and Dagny Juels Hage 2019 at Kontraskjæret (commissioned by Oslo kommune, Bilfritt Byliv) this project is part of the official Oslo Miljøhovedstad program, and we are now working on future sanctuaries underwater with Coral Sanctuary Gardens in both tropical (Bali) and arctic (Norway) waters. These art projects are a part of our ongoing research into art works in public space which both serve nature/animals and humans in a symbiotic form. – LOCUS / Thale Blix Fastvold & Tanja Thorjussen |
Locus bee sanctuary - Dagny juels hage
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"LOCUS Bee Sanctuary - Dagny Juels hage" is a public art project by LOCUS (Tanja Thorjussen and Thale Fastvold) in collaboration with architect Don Lawrence. The garden is a buffet for bees, bumblebees and other pollinators. Named after Dagny Juel (1867-1901) it incorporates her lyric poetry text "I Tusmørke". The beegarden is one of several artprojects where we focus on the pollinators precarious situation and honor women pioners in the arts. It was produced in 2019 to be first shown at Kontraskjæret in Oslo. Since 2020 the beegarden has been shown at the Kvinnemuseum in Kongsberg in the garden of the house which was previously the home of Dagny Juel. The project is supported by Bilfritt Byliv, Oslo Kommune Kulturetaten Review by Tommy Olsson, in Norwegian HERE |
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2019:
Spring:
- "Kvinner" exhibition at Gallery 2 in Stamsund Norway
- LOCUS participating at IKT Conference in Miami USA and Havana in Cuba and Live podcast event with Fresh Art International in Miami.
- Spring Break Art Show New York - LOCUS Coral Sanctuary - curated by Vanessa Albury and Tamara Weg. MORE INFO
Summer:
- LOCUS Bee Sanctuary - Dagny Juels Hage at Kontrasjæret in Oslo (Supported by Bilfritt Byliv, Oslo Kommune)
- LOCUS Bee Sanctuary - Harriet Backers Hage at St.Hanshaugen in Oslo (Supported by bydel St.Hanshaugen, Oslo Kommune)
Fall:
- LOCUS at Cosmoscow in Moscow Russia 6-8 Sept MORE INFO
- Untitled Art Fair, Locus performance in the Everglades, represented at Untitled by Benrubi Gallery and Coral Projects Everglades research Lab.
Spring:
- "Kvinner" exhibition at Gallery 2 in Stamsund Norway
- LOCUS participating at IKT Conference in Miami USA and Havana in Cuba and Live podcast event with Fresh Art International in Miami.
- Spring Break Art Show New York - LOCUS Coral Sanctuary - curated by Vanessa Albury and Tamara Weg. MORE INFO
Summer:
- LOCUS Bee Sanctuary - Dagny Juels Hage at Kontrasjæret in Oslo (Supported by Bilfritt Byliv, Oslo Kommune)
- LOCUS Bee Sanctuary - Harriet Backers Hage at St.Hanshaugen in Oslo (Supported by bydel St.Hanshaugen, Oslo Kommune)
Fall:
- LOCUS at Cosmoscow in Moscow Russia 6-8 Sept MORE INFO
- Untitled Art Fair, Locus performance in the Everglades, represented at Untitled by Benrubi Gallery and Coral Projects Everglades research Lab.
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LOCUS Coral Sanctuary
A collaborative project between artists Thale Fastvold and Tanja Thorjussen with architect Don Lawrence. In 2019 we research and test projects that will be finalized in underwater structures where corals can thrive in Bali and Norway. These sanctuaries - or laboratories, is a way for us to understand and make connections to the coral species and to its habitat. Environmental challenges, ecological crisis in salt water habitats leading to mass extinction of sea creatures, corals and plants are some of the issues we will research in this public art project. Our aim with these sanctuaries is to help with further growth and expansion of healthy coral habitats which is much needed in the current state of the ocean climate. |
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2018:
- LOCUS participating at IKT Congress in Gdansk (PL) and Vilnius (LT). INFO HERE
- HÅ Gamle Prestegård (NO) / Risograph "Kvinner" in exhibition: AVTRYKK - Grafikk mellom Kinesisk blokktrykk og dataprint / INFO HERE
- Oslo (NO). Public art project: LOCUS bee sanctuary garden at St.Hanshaugen in Oslo / FB Event Here
- San Francisco Art Book Fair / Book launch of Anna Daniell and launch of LOCUS Risograph prints "Kvinner". INFO HERE
- LOCUS at Cassata Drone, in Palermo (IT) "Artists, gardeners and cultivators - gathering mystical knowledge" INFO HERE / FB Event HERE
- Cosmoscow art fair, Moscow (RU) INFO HERE / Info at ARTSY
- LOCUS participating at IKT Congress in Gdansk (PL) and Vilnius (LT). INFO HERE
- HÅ Gamle Prestegård (NO) / Risograph "Kvinner" in exhibition: AVTRYKK - Grafikk mellom Kinesisk blokktrykk og dataprint / INFO HERE
- Oslo (NO). Public art project: LOCUS bee sanctuary garden at St.Hanshaugen in Oslo / FB Event Here
- San Francisco Art Book Fair / Book launch of Anna Daniell and launch of LOCUS Risograph prints "Kvinner". INFO HERE
- LOCUS at Cassata Drone, in Palermo (IT) "Artists, gardeners and cultivators - gathering mystical knowledge" INFO HERE / FB Event HERE
- Cosmoscow art fair, Moscow (RU) INFO HERE / Info at ARTSY
2017 Locus book launch at 57th La Biennale di Venezia at Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Book launch at Palazzo Malipiero (S.Marco 3198), Bosnia and Herzegovina Pavilion, in the University of Disaster exhibition with artists Radenko Milak in collaboration with Roman Uranjek, commissioned by director Sarita Vujković of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Republic of Srpska.
Artist books exploring CoSA - Concerning the Spiritual in Art by:
Stefano Cagol (IT), Thale Fastvold (NO), Margrethe Pettersen (NO), Tanja Thorjussen (NO)
The event is kindly supported by OCA - Office of Contemporary Art Norway and realized in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art of Republic of Srpska.
Artist books exploring CoSA - Concerning the Spiritual in Art by:
Stefano Cagol (IT), Thale Fastvold (NO), Margrethe Pettersen (NO), Tanja Thorjussen (NO)
The event is kindly supported by OCA - Office of Contemporary Art Norway and realized in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art of Republic of Srpska.
2017:
Nov: CoSA Artist Books At Pavilion Of Bosnia And Herzegovina At The 57th La Biennale Di Venezia / FB Event Here
Oct: Bergen Art Book Fair / INFO HERE
Oct: Museum Of Avant Garde St.Petersburg / FB Event Here
Sept - Oct: Museum Of Nonconformist Art In St.Petersburg
Arctic Hysteria Exhibition INFO HERE / FB Event Here
Sept: Cosmoscow Art Fair In Moscow / INFO HERE / FB Event Here
April: Visningsrommet USF Verftet, Bergen. Arctic Hysteria Exhibition INFO HERE
Fresh Art International Podcast Interview By Cathy Byrd: LINK HERE
Nov: CoSA Artist Books At Pavilion Of Bosnia And Herzegovina At The 57th La Biennale Di Venezia / FB Event Here
Oct: Bergen Art Book Fair / INFO HERE
Oct: Museum Of Avant Garde St.Petersburg / FB Event Here
Sept - Oct: Museum Of Nonconformist Art In St.Petersburg
Arctic Hysteria Exhibition INFO HERE / FB Event Here
Sept: Cosmoscow Art Fair In Moscow / INFO HERE / FB Event Here
April: Visningsrommet USF Verftet, Bergen. Arctic Hysteria Exhibition INFO HERE
Fresh Art International Podcast Interview By Cathy Byrd: LINK HERE
ARCTIC HYSTERIA - Exhibition And Publication
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Arctic Hysteria is a research-based initiative by LOCUS (Thale Fastvold and Tanja Thorjussen), which explores the northern region in various ways through contemporary art. EXHIBITION Through this project we explore how artists react to the arctic region when doing research, and what kind of art they create. Is it poetic, political, inspired by nature and / or the spiritual? What about history and colonization, the indigenous people versus what the arctic explorers bring into the museums? What do we see in the media, what do we learn from scientists and what can the artist portray? The artists involved have done extensive research in the region with residencies and study-trips to create new work. For more info see interviews with the artists about their research and residencies HERE PUBLICATION: "Arctic Hysteria- collected stories and research through contemporary art" published by LOCUS Forlag, act as research paper, artist book and catalogue. Contributors in addition to involved artists are Tommy Olsson (artist and art-critic), Maria Kotlyachkova (Pikene på Broen, Curator), Vilde Fastvold (Medical anthropology). |
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The publication Arctic Hysteria was launched at NY Art Book Fair at MoMA PS1 in New York.
ABOUT LOCUS
LOCUS is an artist run independent gallery space and a small publishing house.
As a nomadic and fluctuating entity we produce exhibitions and presents artists in various locations nationally and internationally. Based in Oslo at Grünerløkka Lufthavn, Locus has a studio / showroom and hosts various events. LOCUS, established in 2006 by Thale Fastvold and Tanja Thorjussen, both members of IKT - International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art, has recently exhibited in Stavanger, Miami, New York, St.Petersburg, Moscow, Bergen and Medellín.
LOCUS at Cosmoscow art fair in Moscow Russia 2017.
Thale Fastvold (b. 1978) is a visual artist and curator based in Oslo, Norway. She has a BA in photography from Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, a Cand.mag (MA) in Art History and Literature from the University of Oslo, and is educated as a curator from Telemark University. Trained an analog photographer, her focus is on the dialog between classical photography and non-figurative abstraction. With photography and installation she researches the mysteries of science and spirituality. Fastvold has exhibited internationally in USA, Italy, Russia, Colombia and Greece, as well as locally in Norway at Kunstnernes Hus and Tegnerforbundet (Oslo), Blunk (Trondheim) and Small Projects (Tromsø) among others. www.thalefastvold.com
Tanja Thorjussen (b. 1970) is an artist and curator living in Oslo. She holds a BFA from KHIB in Bergen and Parsons The New School in New York, and a curatorial study from Telemark University. With drawing, installation and land-art she explores the theme of liminality in nature, spirituality and mythology. Thorjussen has exhibited internationally in USA, Iceland, Switzerland, Russia, Colombia and Greece as well as locally in Norway at Bryne Kunstforening, Hå Gamle Prestegård, Østlandsutstillingen, Tegnerforbundet in Oslo and Tegning Nå in Skien. www.tanjathorjussen.com
Tanja Thorjussen (b. 1970) is an artist and curator living in Oslo. She holds a BFA from KHIB in Bergen and Parsons The New School in New York, and a curatorial study from Telemark University. With drawing, installation and land-art she explores the theme of liminality in nature, spirituality and mythology. Thorjussen has exhibited internationally in USA, Iceland, Switzerland, Russia, Colombia and Greece as well as locally in Norway at Bryne Kunstforening, Hå Gamle Prestegård, Østlandsutstillingen, Tegnerforbundet in Oslo and Tegning Nå in Skien. www.tanjathorjussen.com
COLLABORATORS:
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ARTISTS
Amelia Beavis-Harrison / www.ameliabeavisharrison.com Vanessa Albury / www.vanessaalbury.com Javier Barrios / www.javierbarrios.com Blunderbuss / www.blunderbuss.no Tor Jørgen Van Eijk / www.youtube.com/user/TjvanEijk Inger Lise hansen / www.ingerlisehansen.com Fritz Horstman / www.fritzhorstman.com Anitra Haendel / www.anitrahaendel.net The Heartist's (Ingebjørg Torgersen & Cathrine Constanse) / Marius Hauge / www.mariushauge.no Yuka Kinoshita / Steinar Haga Kristensen / www.steinarhagakristensen.org Hjørdis Kurås / Don Lawrence / www.don-lawrence.com Asya Marakulina / www.asya-marakulina.tumblr.com Samuel Olou / www.samuelolou.com Sara Rönnbäck / www.sararonnback.com Daniel Slåttnes / www.slaattnes.com Ekaterina Shelganova / cargocollective.com/ekaterinashelganova Ruvan Wijesooriya / www.ruvan.com Seldon Yuan / www.seldonyuan.com Johanna Zwaig /www.johannazwaig.com |
GALLERIES & ORGANIZATIONS
Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 57th La Biennale di Venezia / www.msurs.net Cosmoscow / www.cosmoscow.com Museum of Nonconformist art / www.p-10.ru Visningsrommet USF / www.usf.no OCA / www.oca.no Bergen Art Book Fair / www.bergenartbookfair.no The Norwegian Institute at Athens / www.norwinst.gr Pikene på Broen / www.pikene.no Cinders Gallery / Cinders Gallery Studio 17 / https://www.facebook.com/studio17stavanger Tegnerforbundet / www.tegnerforbundet.no Galleri 69 / www.lufthavna.no/galleri Galleri Blunk / www.galleriblunk.com Unge Kunstneres Samfund / www.uks.no Norske kunstforeningen /www.norskekunstforeninger.no Galleri Fasteraune /http://gallerifasteraune.blogspot.no Produforum / www.produforum.fi Oslo Open / www.osloopen.no Galleri Voss / http://www.gallerivoss.no/ Trygve Lie Gallery /http://www.trygveliegallery.com MÅG / www.nabroad.org |
