Abundance, the 45th Tendencies Biennale for Nordic Contemporary Crafts
04.02 - 28.05

Abundance logo

Gallery F 15 presents, in collaboration with Ki Nurmenniemi, Helsinki-based art curator, art writer and doctoral researcher in interdisciplinary sustainability science, the exhibition Abundance.

The 45th Tendencies Biennial embraces abundance, a way of perceiving the world that cherishes the plurality of lifeforms, relationships, and stories. Abundance is both a conceptual framework for sparking cultural change and an aesthetic approach that celebrates layeredness and boasts all the colours of the rainbow. The broader cultural context for the exhibition is the need to reshape values in the era of climate breakdown and ecological collapses. True sustainability cannot be achieved through preservation only; it also calls for transformations and the mindful reinvention of traditions.

Abundance features newly created artworks by 14 artists living and working across the Nordic countries and the Sápmi region. Through varied conceptual starting points and a broad range of materials and techniques, their artworks make tangible the invisible natural phenomena and delicate co-dependencies that weave the webs of life on our planet. Many of the featured artistic approaches reach beyond westernized aesthetic conventions and ways of understanding. The overarching question that the exhibition addresses is How do contemporary art and crafts practices converge to create more meaningful, livable and lovable worlds?

Hanne Friis

HANNE FRIIS Svart sirkel/ Black Circle, Vinyl, håndsøm, stålrør/ Vinyl, hand stitch, steel pipe2021-22. Photo by Øystein Thorvaldsen

Sasha Huber's work: Mami Wata, metal staples on wood, oak frame, 83 cm x 118 cm

Sasha Huber, Mami Wata, metal staples on wood, oak frame, 83 cm x 118 cm, 2022. Image: Katja Hagelstam.

The Artists taking part on this edition of Tendenser are:
Lene Baadsvig Ørmen (Norway), Ask Bjørlo (Norway), Hanne Friis (Norway), Ellen Grieg (Norway), Sasha Huber (Finland), Kristin Larsson (Sweden), Kim Laybourn (Norway/Denmark), Germain Ngoma (Norway), Outi Pieski, Biret & Gáddjá Haarla Pieski (Sápmi), Pearla Pigao (Norway), Elsa Salonen (Germany/Finland), Anna Ting Möller (China/Sweden), Anna Rún Tryggvadóttir (Iceland), and Man Yau (Finland).

Tendenser
For nearly 50 years, Tendencies has been one of the leading platforms for contemporary crafts in the Nordic region. The biennial was first presented as an annual exhibition in 1971 at Galleri F 15 in Moss, Norway. Since then, the exhibition has expanded from its initial focus on Norwegian contemporary crafts to incorporating trends from across the Nordic countries.

The side programme for the Abundance exhibition is a collaboration with curator Ki Nurmenniemi, Galleri F 15, Galleri F 15, Norwegian Crafts, and The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute (FINNO). The Abundance symposium is supported by The Nordic Culture Fund and the Craft Artists’ Remuneration Fund.

Read more about the exhibition at Galleri F 15 website.