The climate emergency is making a statement at the art fair circuit, pointing fingers at yachts, the luxury lifestyle, automobile pollution and water bottles. But is it sellable? One curator says that protest art isn’t commercial but artists have invested their time regardless. As the Norwegian artist Thale Fastvold recently said: “Science has a communication problem that art can solve.” Here are some artworks doing that precisely.”

Link to full text;
The idea is that art can help’: how Art Basel Miami tackled the climate crisis, “The Guardian”, 10 Dec 2019

Review of LOCUS Bee Sanctuary – Dagny Juels Hage, Sept. 2019, by Tommy Olsson at Norwegian Writers’ Climate Campaign

Works by Thale Fastvold featured by Hatje Cantz verlag (DE), in the “100 Norwegian Photograpers” book published Oct. 2019, edited by Ina Otzko, and on Hatje Cantz photoblog:  In Search of the Miraculous “Years ago I bought a book by Ouspensky with the title In Search of the Miraculous. I came to live by these words: What happens or may happen, may depend on these three causes: Upon accident, upon fate, or upon our own free will. I have an unquestionable belief in subliminal messages that are presented to me; within fractions of a second there is something specific that fully grabs my attention. It can be anything. An image, a person, a word, a sound, an insect, an event. I trust each and every clue knowing that if I listen and act, in time I will be enriched by a new adventure, a new meeting, a new experience, a new perspective. Living a nomadic life I am most often somewhere else, but always here wherever I am. Photography are one of my methods of exploring time. Today is Sunday. Take your time.” – Ina Otzko

Read two texts about LOCUS bee sanctuary garden by Dr. Zofia Cielatkowska and art critic Tommy Olsson, August 2018.

Thale Fastvold & Tanja Thorjussen interviewed by curator Cathy Bird of Fresh Art International “Curating Art in a Time of Global Change” podcast out March 2018.

LOCUS and LATERNA are collaborating in exploring the spiritual in contemporary art as well as researching the spiritual in art that unfolded during the early 1900s in Europe. CoSA – Concerning the Spiritual in Art will take shape as performance, drawing, photography and artist-books.

The project will be initiated in Athens during Documenta 14 opening week in collaboration with The Norwegian Institute at Athens, where we will hold a performance, an artist talk and launch artist books exploring the subject of the spiritual in contemporary art praxis.

Later this year CoSA will present various events at among others the Venice Biennale opening week, in Hammerfest during Dansefestival Barents and in St. Petersburg.

Photo: André Wulf/ Dreiemont as for CoSA – Concerning the Spiritual in Art by LATERNA and LOCUS

LATERNA was established in 2011. As a nomadic porous unit, based in Oslo, Inger-Reidun Olsen and Marianne Skjeldal, both choreographers and performers, collaborate through various formats within performance, dealing with materials, objects, sound and actions in relation to our artistic research, performative and spiritual practices. www.laternalaterna.org

LOCUS is an artist and curator collective and independent art space.
 As a nomadic and fluctuating entity Locus produce exhibitions and presents different artists in various locations nationally and internationally.
 Based in Oslo at Grünerløkka Lufthavn, Locus has a studio/showroom and hosts various events.
 Since 2009 Locus publishing has produced 3 books and will now invite select artists to create individual artists books working with the CoSA theme. Locus was established in 2006 by Thale Fastvold and Tanja Thorjussen and has recently exhibited in cities such as Stavanger, Miami, Oslo, New York, St.Petersburg and Medellín in Colombia. www.locusart.org

CoSA aims to channel and interpret the spirit of places (Genius Loci) into our artworks and performances and explore sites with spiritual reference or history by re-creating lost rituals and creating new artworks. 
With performative situations and séances at selected sites we will share our work in Athens (GR), Hammerfest (NO), Vadsø (NO), St Petersburg (RU) and Monte Verità (CH) 2017-18. The performances will include materials, objects, sound, movement and actions in relation to each place. Through our collaboration we merge performative- and visual arts traditions and share knowledge and experience from each practice.

The project will culminate in creating a publication through inviting external theorists, art scholars and artists to write alongside our own reflections. Our aim is to contextualize the spiritual in contemporary art while also relating the project to Wassily Kandinskys’ publication “Concerning the spiritual in art” (1911) and other artists of that time period.

The project is supported by the Norwegian Institute at Athens, the Norwegian Art Council, and Fond for lyd og bilde.

LOCUS and LATERNA present:
CoSA – Concerning the Spiritual in Art The Norwegian Institute at Athens
Thursday April 6th 19.00
Performative event/artist talk with:
Thale Fastvold, Inger-Reidun Olsen, Marianne Skjeldal and Tanja Thorjussen

 Book launch of artist books by:  Merete Joelsen Aune, Daniel Slåttnes & Sara Rönnback

Arctic Hysteria – collected stories and research through contemporary art

Locus presents a fanzine that will touch upon the themes of the arctic region, mythology, shamanism, spirits and transformation. The publication is a research tool and will function as a collaborative artist book for the traveling exhibition Arctic Hysteria, which opens at Dikemark in Asker in the fall 2016, and will travel to St Petersburg in 2017 and Stamsund in the north of Norway in 2018.

The artists involved present text about their work and research process and new work in drawing, photography, painting, performance, sculpture and installation. In addition the fanzine has texts by a medical anthropologist, an art critic and a curator as well as 3 artists relevant to the theme.

The launch at NYABF was possible by generous support from OCA.

Arctic Hysteria Booklaunch At Cinders Gallery Booth R01, NY Art Book Fair, MoMA PS1; Time: Saturday September 17th at 6-7 pm
Place: Cinders Gallery Booth R01, NY Art Book Fair, MoMA PS1

Presenting artists:
Vanessa Albury (USA), Amelia Beavis-Harrison (UK/NO), Thale Fastvold (NO), Fritz Horstman (USA), Marianne Darlén Solhaugstrand (NO), Tanja Thorjussen (NO), Javier Barrios (GT/MX/NO), Ekaterina Shelganova, (RU) Vemund Thoe (NO)

Contributing writers:
Vilde Fastvold (NO), PhD Candidate, medical antropology, UiO, Tommy Olsson (SE), art critic/curator, Maria Kotlyachkova (RU) curator/writer

Design:Maria Romstad

Arctic Hysteria Exhibition And Book Release at Uncontaminated Fashion Art Festival In Oslo
Arctic Hysteria exhibition and book had its Oslo debut at Uncontaminated art and fashion festival 12-14 October 2016

Opening: Wednesday 12 October 18:00 – 20:00 Place: Bryggegate 7, Aker Brygge, Oslo

Participating artists:
Vanessa Albury (USA), Amelia Beavis-Harrison (UK/NO), Thale Fastvold (NO)
Fritz Horstman (USA), Marianne Darlén Solhaugstrand (NO), Tanja Thorjussen (NO), Presenting a special project by fashion designer Cathrine Krog (NO)