Underskog

In relation to Anawana Haloba’s residency and exhibition in Kunstnernes Hus, W17 has invited Romeo Gongora for a talk in her studio. For several years, Gongora and Haloba have had an on-going dialogue in relation to their art practice. W17 wants to invite Gongora to have a discussion about this practice and how it influences their processes.

The talk will be held in relation to Haloba’s exhibition A Reflection of a Several Self in Kunstnernes Hus, December 3 – January 16. Haloba works with different media, all operating in the language between film, video, installation and performance. Studio Program W17 is proud to announce that Haloba’s exhibition include two new pieces made in the studio: I want to tell you something and, Is your past my immediate future?

In Gongora’s project Volkskunsthalle from 2009 he aims to explore the relations of submission and domination that underlie society and morality. The project aspires to expand on the relation between destruction and reparation: is violence the ultimate way to reject subjugation? Volkskunsthalle consists of two installations and a series of solo demonstrations, which are taking place in the exhibition space, bringing together persons who fight for self-freedom.

Anawana Haloba is born in Zambia 1978 and lives and works in Oslo, Norway. In 2006 Haloba completed her studies at the National Academy of Fine Art, Oslo, and of the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2008). Haloba has participated in the Sharjah Biennial (2007), Manifesta 7 (2008), and the 16th Biennale of Sydney (2008) among other exhibitions. For the time being Haloba is guest of the BKH Studio Program W17, and is also exhibiting in Kunstnernes Hus.

Romeo Gongora is a visual artist from Canada/Guatemala. In 2005 Gongora completed a Master at University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada, and he is a graduate of the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2008). Recently, he has been invited to Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City, and at Centre Culturel de Neumünster, Luxembourg. In 2009, he was artist in residence at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin. Gongora’s work will be included in several exhibitions in Canada and Europe throughout 2011. For more information: www.romeogongora.com