Artists:
Heidi Bjørgan ∣ Liv Blåvarp ∣ Sigurd Bronger ∣ Andreas Engesvik ∣ Katrine Køster Holst ∣ Kari Håkonsen ∣ Torbjørn Kvasbø ∣ Konrad Mehus ∣ Irene Nordli  ∣ Inger Johanne Rasmussen ∣ Anders Smebye ∣ Anna Talbot ∣ Åse-Marit Thorbjørnsrud ∣ Reinhold Ziegler

Curator:
Marianne Zamecznik

Norwegian Crafts was "Guest of Honor" to Revelations – Fine craft and creation Fair in 2013. The organizers are d´Art de France aimed to create a significant event showing the best of French and international crafts. Grand Palais was originally built for the world exhibition in 1900 and already in 1925 a Norwegian exhibition was planned, though never realized due to economic issues. In 2013 Norwegian Crafts showed the exhibition REVEALING THOUGHTS curated by Marianne Zamecznik.

REVEALING THOUGHTS presented works in glass, textile, ceramic and jewellery design. Tradition and innovation, technology and sustainability define contemporary Norwegian craft. Konrad Mehus (b.1941) and Anna Talbot (b.1978) create pieces in which storytelling takes center stage; Talbot utilizing a familiar fairytale formula while Mehus works have had a strong social and political agenda since the 70’s. Sigurd Bronger (b.1957) and Reinhold Ziegler (b.1965) focus on technical and mechanical elements in their jewelry pieces while repetition is the common denominator in the works of ceramist Torbjørn Kvasbø (b. 1953) and jewellery artists Liv Blåvarp (b.1956) and Åse-Marit Thorbjørnsrud (b.1956), where the repetition of modules produces flowing and organic volumes. 

In the works of Irene Nordli (b.1967) and Heidi Bjørgan (b.1970) the ceramic material oscillates between the cold appearance ofthe machine made and the intimate imprint of the artists hand. Katrine Køster Holst  (b.1979) has created a site-specific work, a project on how a material grows and changes every time it is moved. Glass artist Kari Håkonsen (b.1969) explores a sculptural world with her new series Mirage. Designer Andreas Engesvik (b.1970) has collaborated with StokkeAustad in designing a glass sculpture, bridging the gap between industrial design and what we associate with arts & crafts. Inger Johanne Rasmussen (b.1958) and Anders Smebye(b.1975) approach textile from two very different angles; Rasmussen,  being a mentor in the field of textile and engaging in its traditions and technology, creates large-scale tapestries in hand-colored wool  while Smebye combines industrially colored felt and patinated sheet  metal to create amorphous and light sculptural volumes.

The title, REVEALING THOUGHTS, can either be read as ’thoughts that in themselves reveal something’, or as a display of thoughts and concepts. It suggests that Norwegian craft today is fundamentally concept-based, and that the material manifestation of thoughts and ideas intrinsically make visible an otherwise unseen and subconscious territory.

RELEVATIONS – Fine craft and creation Fair in Grand Palais took place 11th – 15th of September. Both French and international craft was presented in the 6000 square meters palace.The fair reached over 32.000 visitors and around 600 international journalists. The ambition is to arrange this event every second year.