Mobilizing Citizenship: The Hyper Backdrop with Benedetta Crippa
Project
September – September 2019
The theme of the workshop focused on representation of the body through sculpture. The participants collaborated to create a suspended site specific figurative work, for the outdoor area of Kunsthall Stavanger. Jennie Bringaker started the workshop with a presentation about the outdoor sculptures of Niki de Saint Phalle, as well as the sculptures of Louise Bourgeois and Hans Bellmer,in addition to some of her own sculptural works. The emphasis was on how these artists relate to the human body and how, through their different representations of these human forms, the artists express feelings of distress, detach- ment, desire and other complex emotions based on personal experiences.
The workshop was designed for every participant to create their own element, which could unite in one large scale, suspend-
ed abstract form. The process allowed for everyone to express themselves separately meanwhile engaging in a joint result, an
outdoor sculpture work, which was available for the public and passer-bys for the duration of 2019.
Curator: Kristina Ketola Bore
Project Manager: Marisa Molin
Youth Worker: Trine Ottosen
Mobilizing Citizenship has received generous funding from Arts Council Norway and Nordic Culture Point.
Jennie Bringaker
Jennie Bringaker works in the field of figurative sculpture employing a range of different media such as stone, earthenware, textiles, and metal. The works are motivated by personal experiences but are also inspired by ancient fertility cults and how these manifested themselves in sculpture, relief, and murals. The exhibition space plays an important part in the development of both the concepts and the design of her works, and Bringaker considers the sculptures performative actors in the space, frozen in time.
Mobilizing Citizenship (MC)
Mobilizing Citizenship (MC) is an educational project where Norwegian and international artists and designers are invited to work with a small group of young people aged 12-16 at Kunsthall Stavanger during one semester. The overall focus of MC is to investigate how young people can use tools and methods from contemporary art to express themselves and be heard in today's society. MC is not a talent development programme, but rather an investigation into how contemporary art can be a relevant contribution in young people’s lives.
Since its inception in 2018, MC has developed into a practice-based research project. During the period 2022–2024, the project will focus on building more knowledge about how we can create good meetings between contemporary art and young people. As part of this, we are collaborating with institutions and cultural workers from around the world who have expertise in this area. The result of the project will take the form of reflections and documentations, made accessible to artists, curators, cultural workers and institutions who want to create relevant offerings for young people.
Previous Themes and Participants:
Spring 2022
DRAMA
With: Lee Heinemann (curator), Delali Ayivor, Lex Brown, Ingela Ihrman
Autumn 2019
Unpacking the Visual Norms
With: Benedetta Crippa, Toxic Waste Face, Jennie Bringaker, Lee Heinemann
Spring 2019
Movement and Body Representation
With: WALK OF SHAME, Sidsel Christensen, Zinzi Minott, Trojan Horse (Kaisa Karvinen, Tommi Vasko)
Autumn 2018
Public Space in the Context of the Digital
With: Clara Balaguer, Eglé Kulbokaité and Dorota Gawęda, Laurel Schwulst, Andreas Knag Danielsen and David Lamignan Larsen
Spring 2018
Activism as Artistic Tool
With: Hardworking Goodlooking (Clara Balaguer, Kristian Henson), Synnøve Sizou G. Wetten, Hans Edward Hammonds, Nicole Killian and Benjamin Hickethier