"Contructions: contemporary Norwegian design and crafts" is beautifully imaginative and playful. The exhibition, curated by Edith Lundebrekke, will be displayed at the Design Exchange in Toronto, November 19, 2010 - January 24, 2011.
The exhibition is based on the concept of "construction" - in the sense of the way something is put together. It also investigates the link between construction and surface. The way we construct such as in textile art, knitting, weaving, crochet or needlework, will also build the surface. Lundebrekke has selected artists who approach construction in different ways, mainly in relation to wood and textiles. The exhibition features a variety of works, some with strong traditional roots and others more experimental. They all spring out of a basis in the traditions of arts and craft.
To the left is a work by Marit Helen Akslen, White Dress (2007), which is made up of 250 white shirt collars. The work seeks to comment on social differences and expectations. The artist use clothes and part of clothes to cast light on these themes. She takes elements from clothing, re-codes them and creates new antagonistic images.