I & We

“Where do we come from? We are dead stars”, claims Michelle Thaller, one of the most sensitive astrophysicists exploring the universe. Thaller stresses the fact that people, stars and all animate and inanimate beings originate from the same atoms. SIC! Gallery’s latest exhibition is a collection of works showing the man/nature relationship as a system of communicating vessels. I & We is a presentation of contemporary glass by ten Norwegians who have created unique artistic universes.

I & We is an open-call exhibition of works made by female Norwegian artists who use glass to create unique artistic universes. Their practices are rich in tenderness and care, both for the material and the world around us. They are inspired by the exceptional, diverse nature of Norway, which in many ways reflects the social and cultural development of the country’s inhabitants. Their culture and social awareness has been shaped by nature, their everyday life is also connected with it. They live in accordance with the natural cycle of change, seasonality and nature’s impact on all living things. When staging situations and creating objects, the artists use unconventional means of expression. In this way, they point out values based on balance and respect rather than deepening divisions. 

The exhibition showcases a selection of objects, videos and photographs in which the metamorphic character of glass is used on the level of formation of both matter and ideas. The works on display are instruments of commitment, they generate relationships, perform. They act as carriers of information, show future generations our present, but also offer a bitter commentary on contemporary times. They spur a revision of artistic practices in the context of climate change and our overexploitation of the earth’s resources. Some of them pose the question how, or even whether, glass will still be part of our lives. Others, without a hint of seriousness, boldly mock our reality. In some, we see metaphors of human codes and behaviours, others reflect our resilience and adaptation skills. 

Irrespective of the formal and conceptual layers of particular works, the exhibition offers an opportunity to look at glass from various perspectives and learn diverse practices of working with the medium. What they all have in common is an effort to empower this exceptional material.