Apen i taket

The mediation project Apen i taket (The Monkey in the Ceiling) was a three-year collaboration between Oslo Kunstforening and Humanistskolen from 2022 to 2024, supported by The DNB Savings Bank Foundation. A total of 126 students from 8th, 9th, and 10th grades have participated in the project, which includes guided tours of seven exhibitions, artist talks, sculpture walks in our local area, an exhibition in the historical rooms on the first floor of Rådmannsgården, workshops and photography courses.

Our goal has been to create engagement, reflection, and interest in contemporary art through dialogue. The students have been challenged by exhibitions that cover a wide range of art forms: installation, painting, drawing, sculpture, sound art, video, food, textiles, photography, organic materials, and performance. Thematically, the artists have addressed issues related to climate challenges and sustainability; the impact of information technology, nuclear weapons, Hiroshima, the atrocities of the Korean War; colonialism; the ways we categorize with far-reaching consequences for all living beings, as well as identity, language, and spirituality, among other topics.

At the same time, we have aimed to showcase Oslo Kunstforening's unique character, with its long historical lineage and location in Rådmannsgården, dating back to 1626, which holds a particular relevance and significance in the city's anniversary year of 2024. Artists exhibiting with us often engage with the building's architectural elements, where the old and the contemporary intertwine, creating new narratives that we have explored together with the students. The students have been given practical and text-based tasks designed by the artists and Humanistskolen in collaboration with us. The students' work has been materialized in two exhibitions and a publication.

The name of the project is inspired by a small monkey with a mirror from the 1640s, which adorns the plaster ceiling on the first floor of Oslo Kunstforening. The original meaning has been lost, but it was well-known in the Renaissance as an allegory of human vanity and folly. Just like the monkey, contemporary art holds up a mirror, reflecting humanity in the broadest sense.

Contemporary art both mirrors and shapes our present time. It proposes solutions to the challenges faced by individuals and society, and several of the artists have collaborated with researchers and other artists. It has been enriching for us as an institution to work with the students and teachers of Humanistskolen. The students have been active, challenging us with critical questions and producing excellent student work – an extra thanks to the engaged teachers.