In September, Ingrid Halland and Marte Johnslien talked to art critic Marit Kristine Flåtter about the TiO2 Project. The thorough and insightful article "Aesthetic Transformation of Landscapes" is now published by ArtScene Trondheim.
The conversation took place at Jøssingfjord Science Museum under the symposium "Extraction and Aesthetics" and the article is a part of a series of articles in which Flåtter investigates how artists have sought the periphery as a retreat from the cultural center. Maiken Stene and Hans Edward Hammonds / Velferden Sokndal Scene for Contemporary Art; Hilde Tørdal and Tom-Erik Lønnerød / Greenlight Triennale; and Margrethe Kolstad Brekke and Hilde S. Widvey / Rjukan Solarpunk Academy are also interviewed.
Read the article in Norwegian here:
"The TiO2 project is a good example of how artistic environments interpret and thematize the landscape today. They are focused on local conditions, ecology, and human footprints. Industrialization serves as raw material for artistic processing, while the question of extraction points back to us as consumers, including the artists themselves. Johnslien explores what it means for the artwork that it carries a material history. [...] The TiO2 project unites local and global history, technology, innovation, and visual art. It is interdisciplinary and serves as a good example of how artists work with nature today, compared to previous eras." - Marit Flåtter
We are grateful for Marit's thorough preparation, compelling questions, and the valuable insights.