Curated by Robert Storr, exhibition is on view April 14–August 19, 2011 Media Preview: April 13, 9:30–11 am
North by New York: New Nordic Art, a focused international loan exhibition concentrating on important trends and issues in contemporary Scandinavian art, opens at Scandinavia House on April 14, 2011. Organized by The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) and selected by renowned curator and critic Robert Storr, with independent scholar and curator Francesca Pietropaolo, the exhibition is the second in a series of programs celebrating ASF’s centennial.
Saana Wang, Hujialou # 60, 2009
The fifteen artists represented—eight women and seven men—include established leaders of contemporary Nordic art, such as Per Kirkeby and Cecilia Edefalk, as well as mid-career and emerging artists, such as Karin Mamma Andersson, Sara-Vide Ericson, Ragnar Kjartansson, Tal R, and Gunnel Wåhlstrand. The works on view were selected to exemplify the extraordinary diversity of media, content, and artistic vision that informs Scandinavian art today. All of the Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—are represented.
The American-Scandinavian Foundation President Edward P. Gallagher states, “One hundred years ago, The American-Scandinavian Foundation was inaugurated with an historic exhibition of works by such canonical masters of Nordic art as Edvard Munch, Carl Larsson, and Anders Zorn. Since then, Scandinavia, and what it means to be Scandinavian, have changed dramatically; but, as this present exhibition makes clear, the Nordic countries, individually and collectively, continue to foster some of the most creative and original talent in the world. We are especially pleased that Robert Storr accepted our invitation to celebrate ASF’s centenary and provide New Yorkers with such a compelling view of the present and, indeed, future of Scandinavian art.”
Robert Storr adds, “Our aim in North by New York has been to focus on artists and works of merit and distinction that also reveal the multiplicity and complexity of content and form that characterize contemporary Nordic art. Indeed, the proliferation of new art by Scandinavian artists in recent years highlights the fact that the Nordic countries today are as pluralistic as anyplace else in the world.”
The American-Scandinavian Foundation
The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) is the leading cultural and educational link between the U.S. and the Nordic countries. An American nonprofit organization, it works to build international understanding through an extensive program of fellowships, grants, intern/trainee sponsorship, publishing, and membership offerings. In 2000, it opened Scandinavia House as its headquarters and the home for its cultural and educational programs.
Scandinavia House—The Nordic Center in America
Celebrating more than a decade of cultural programming, Scandinavia House presents contemporary Nordic culture through a wide range of ASF programs that encompass the visual arts, music, and literature, as well as business, finance, and technology. Offerings include art, design, and historical exhibitions; films; concerts; readings; lectures; symposia; language courses; and children’s programming.
www.scandinaviahouse.org