Research-in-progress exhibition: TiO2 Prøvefelt

From 5. – 20. September 2023, the TiO2 Project organized the second exhibition in connection to the research project. As a part of the innovative exhibition format ROM Studio, the research team moved into ROM for kunst og arkitektur for two weeks. The result became the research-in-progress exhibitionTiO2 Prøvefelt [TiO2 Trial Fields].

In addition to an exhibition, the research team organized numerous public debates, artist talks, presentations, workshops, and collaboration meetings with our museum partners. The exhibition consisted of four parts in which we displayed material tests on TiO2 in ceramic glazes, archive material, fieldwork photography by Marte Johnslien, artworks from our MA students Silje Kjørholt and Linda Flø, a site-spesific work by affiliated artist Julia K. Persson, and a research installation by our guest researcher Kshitija Mruthyunjaya.

The 'ROM Studio' exhibition was curated by Tonje Haugland Sørensen, Ingrid Halland, and Marte Johnslien. Exhibition architecture by Johnslien and Enrique Eduardo Roura Perez.

"Ongoing research on white color" - research-in-progress exhibition TiO2 Prøvefelt at ROM for kunst og arkitektur in Oslo, 5. - 20. September 2023

The student group MA/MoW’s ongoing investigations of titanium dioxide in ceramic glazes.

Archival material, photographed in Kronos Titan’s archive at the Norwegian Mining Museum/Østfoldsmuseene.

Top row: Marte Johnslien (2020). A series of photographs from the book “White to Earth”. Photographed at the mining industry Titania in Sokndal, Rogaland, and the pigment factory Kronos Titan in Fredrikstad. Bottom row: Kshitija Mruthyunjaya (2023). A series of photographs from fieldwork in the area of the titanium dioxide factory KMML, Kollam, Kerala, India. Photo: Frank Holtschlag / KUNSTDOK

Silje Kjørholt, "Å få blikket til å feste seg på en hvit flate eller oppleve salighet i gjørme" (2023) Series of sculptures of marine clay, straw, sand, porcelain clay and titanium dioxide. Photo: Frank Holtschlag / KUNSTDOK

Julia K. Persson, “White canvases” (2023) Installation of textiles in natural fibers, porcelain clay, white earthenware clay, titanium dioxide, mounted on a structure of spruce- and pinewood. Photo: Frank Holtschlag / KUNSTDOK

Linda Flø, "Geologisk øyeblikk" (2023) Ceramic relief of stoneware clay, ore from Blåfjell and ceramic glazes based on TiO2 and sand from the Sandbekk deposit. Photo: Frank Holtschlag / KUNSTDOK

Linda Flø, "Gjenforening I" and "Gjenforening II" (2023). Ceramic relief of stoneware clay, ore from Blåfjell and ceramic glazes based on TiO2 and sand from the Sandbekk deposit. Photo: Frank Holtschlag / KUNSTDOK

The student group MA/MoW’s ongoing investigations of titanium dioxide in ceramic glazes. The tests are made from a simplified version of the Ian Currie grid method, developed by workshop master in ceramics Knut Natvik. Tray with titanium dioxide pigment. Photos from the research group’s visit to Sandbekk by Marte Johnslien. Photo: Frank Holtschlag / KUNSTDOK

Silje Kjørholt, "Utilstrekkelig overalt del 1" (2023) Sculpture of wood, marine clay, straw, sand, red iron oxide, titanium dioxide, linseed oil and chalk. Photo: Frank Holtschlag / KUNSTDOK

Interactive installation with slides from «Kronos Titan’s standard presentation». From Kronos Titan’s archive, Østfoldmuseene. Photo: Thomas Bjørnflaten / KUNSTDOK

Postcards with photo of slides with questions for the visitors to comment on. The submitted replies were anonymous and will be used as data in the research project. Photo: Thomas Bjørnflaten / KUNSTDOK

The aim of TiO2 Prøvefelt was to test out ideas about public participation in arts-based and art historical research. We wanted to investigate how research can engage with public opinion in a way that nuances and complicates the research hypothesis. The public was introduced to the research project not a finished result, but rather part of an ongoing investigation that took shape in the exhibition space.