Melanie Kitti and Elina Waage Mikalsen
Curated by Koffi & Højgaard

gos earát ledje duolbman lei mearka mis
der andre hadde tråkket var det avtrykk i oss
where others had stepped there were traces in us

22.08.24 – 13.10.24

Welcome to the opening of the exhibition where others had stepped there were traces in us Thursday 22 August from 6-8 pm, and a conversation between the artists and curators Saturday 24 August 1-2 pm.

The exhibition presents the artists Melanie Kitti (b. 1986, SE) and Elina Waage Mikalsen (b. 1992, NO/SÁ). Both are interdisciplinary artists working across media. While Waage Mikalsen is both a musician and artist, Kitti’s work is a combination of her writing, painting and sculptural practices. In recent years, both artists have established themselves as significant voices in the contemporary art scene, each with a distinctive artistic language.

By inviting the two artists to inhabit the same exhibition space, curators Pauline Koffi Vandet (b. 1994, DK/CI) and Ida Højgaard Thjømøe (b. 1991, NO/DK), have created a dynamic that places the artists in dialogue with each other. This dialogue occurs conceptually, materially and spatially. Sometimes this dialogue reveals their artistic differences in counterpoint and sometimes the works resonate with each other, creating a harmonious polyphony.

The exhibition is part of Oslo Kunstforening’s initiative New Voices, where external, younger curators are invited to develop and curate an exhibition project specifically for the institution. The exhibition is supported by Art Council Norway and Danish Arts Foundation and The City of Oslo, in connection with the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the city.