New summer exhibition Ebbe and Flow to open this weekend
A new exhibition celebrating cultural and maritime connections with Scandinavia through the work of Scottish and Norwegian artists opens this Saturday in Da Gadderie, Shetland Museum and Archives.
Ebbe and Flow is a travelling exhibition, touring in its own wooden kist filled with artworks and images connecting Norway and Scotland. It features work from nine artists - Marit Tunestveit Dyre, Rhona Fleming, Sarah Jost, David Lemm, Jon Macleod, Randi Annie Strand, Calum Wallis and co-curators David Faithfull and Imi Maufe.
It stems from a four-year collaborative project between the artists and the time they spent together on residencies in Mull and Norway, where each artist explored language, landscape and history; with collaboration from local linguists, seafarers, geologists, foresters and natural wardens.
The artworks inspired by these residencies are now travelling from place to place in a specially designed kist containing individual drawers for each artist, opening out to reveal sculptures, drawings, prints, video and artefacts. The exhibition captures, in its form and configuration, the essence of the drifting cultural and nautical exchanges between two lands across the North Sea, both historically and today; the ebb and flow of tides, people and objects between Norway and Scotland, following the weather and tidal stream, backs and forth, from east to west and from west to east.
Karen Clubb, exhibitions officer at Shetland Museum and Archives, said: “Ebbe and Flow is a fascinating touring exhibition anchored by a dynamic artist collective and we’re delighted to show it in Shetland this summer. The breadth of work that has emerged from the nine artists’ collaborative journey is truly inspiring, exploring the intersections of Scottish and Nordic culture through language, music, nautical exchanges, landscape, and weather.”
Scottish artist David Faithfull, co-curator of the project said: “We are excited to bring Ebbe and Flow to Shetland, its penultimate destination, before the consignment of artwork sets sail on its final voyage aboard the Swan, where we will be sailing back across the North Sea to Eivindik for the Gulating Festival, celebrating the 750th anniversary of Norway’s national Constitution in August 2024.”
David Faithfull will be giving an artist talk on Sunday 9 June at 2pm, which will outline the project and include a gallery walk through tour of the exhibition. Tickets are available via the museum box office.
An artists’ book accompanies the exhibition.
The exhibition opens on Saturday 8 June from 2pm and runs until Saturday 10 August 2024.
