Painters in dialogue: A Conceptual Approach

LNM Forum: Painters in Dialogue
A conceptual approach with Hanna Sjöstrand and Øystein Aasan

Tuesday, December 13th 2022, 17.30–19.00

This session brings together artists Øystein Aasan (NO) and Hanna Sjöstrand (SE) to talk about painting as a means to explore concept. Both of these artists put considerable preparation and research before beginning on a body of work. Each of them employs a variety of strategies and mediums in order to develop the direction that their paintings take.

Øystein Aasan makes his paintings using a conceptual methodology first explored in his archive “Never Ending Memory” – a collection of thoughts and ideas that inform and stem from his work. His paintings are most often shown alongside works in other mediums in the context of wider installations.

Hanna Sjöstrand uses painting as a means to process ideas and the world around her, often examining things she considers contemporary mythologies, often working with the space between language and perception. Her research methods range from gathering information by reading, listening and watching, to lived experience through performance and physical activity, often drawing on her experiences of martial arts and theatre.

This conversation will ask questions such as, where do Hanna and Øystein get their ideas from? How does concept relate to materiality? How important is it that a viewer comprehends the artist’s intentions? In the painting process how much room is there for slippage away from the original idea, and what can be learned from the spaces that open up?

The evening will start with a period to look at the works on show and mingle, before sitting down for informal discussion. Anyone present is welcome to ask questions and comment throughout the session. After the event the organisers will go for a drink and informal conversation nearby, we hope you will join us.

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Øystein Aasan (b. 1977), studied at the University of the Arts in Oslo and currently lives in Berlin. Since 2004, he has had a number of exhibitions in Norway and internationally. Institutional exhibitions include, among others; Kunsthalle Lingen; Astrup Fearnley Museum of Art, Oslo; Momentum Biennale, Moss; Migros Museum, Zurich; Kunstverein Arnsberg; Liverpool Biennale; The Southern Art Museum and the National Museum, Oslo. He has had solo and group exhibitions at Galleria Enrico Astuni, Bologna; C24 Gallery, New York; RH Contemporary, New York; PSM, Berlin; LAUTOM, Oslo and Galerie Katharina Bittel, Hamburg. Aasan has published essays and reviews in a number of international magazines.

Hanna Sjöstrand lives and works in Oslo. She holds a masters degree from Malmö Art Academy. Her work has been exhibited at spaces including: Ystad Konstmuseum, Malmö Museum, Stene Projects, Elastic Gallery, Galleri Thomas Wallner and LNM, among other venues. Her latest exhibition Birch trees and weapons at Martin Bryder Gallery and THE LIGHT at Röstånga Konsthall examine the relationship between the war industry and the climate crises. Her work is represented in private as well as public collections and she has been commissioned to produce a number of public commissions in Norway and Sweden.

Painters in Dialogue is conceptualised by Rune Elgaard and Nicholas John Jones. Rune is a visual artist working predominantly with painting. He holds an MFA from Oslo National Academy of the Arts. Nicholas is an artist and organiser. He holds an MFA in Fine Art Painting from Slade School of Fine Art, London. He is Founder and Director of PRAKSIS (Oslo).