Merz! Flux! Pop!
Henie Onstad Kunstsenter
03.06.21—29.05.22
Curator Caroline Ugelstad
Exhibition design Luca Frei
The exhibition Merz! Flux! Pop! starts on the ground floor with a presentation of Kurt Schwitters' life in Norway between 1937 and 1940. This section includes a geometric mural, paintings by Schwitters, and biographical texts about his life and work in Norway. Another mural leading to the second floor reproduces the architectural section of Haus am Bakken, Schwitters' studio outside Oslo, which burned down in 1951. As part of the commission, I designed the exhibition's titles, drawing inspiration from the studio's architectural drawings, the sole surviving documentation of the building.
On the second floor, the exhibition presents Schwitters in dialogue with his contemporaries and later artists. One highlight is a large cabinet owned by American Fluxus collector Jean Brown. Visitors can open the drawers and view the cabinet's contents. The display on this floor has an architectural dimension, with shaped walls hanging from the ceiling and suspended from the floor to offer various paths and perspectives. Four inbuilt niches, cabinets, and libraries with coloured wallpapers present specific collections. The display uses concrete blocks and metal glass from the renovation works as plinths and shelves.
The new 430-square-meter Merz Gallery at the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter was designed by Snøhetta as an integral part of the art center's original 1968 design.
Photo: Øystein Thorvaldsen