Maritea Dæhlin
A-FI-SA. But it might not be tomorrow
Maritea Dæhlin
A-FI-SA. But it might not be tomorrow
27.08.26–11.10.26
Oslo Kunstforening is pleased to present Maritea Dæhlin’s (b. 1986) solo exhibition A-FI-SA. But it might not be tomorrow, on view from 27 August to 11 October 2026. The first version of the exhibition was shown at Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum’s premises at Nordover kunstsenter in Longyearbyen, and site-specific, further developed versions will open in late August and early September at both Oslo Kunstforening and Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum in Bodø. The exhibition is curated by Liv Brissach, and the presentation at Oslo Kunstforening has been developed in collaboration with Elisabeth Byre.
For the exhibition, Maritea Dæhlin has created the video installation A-FI-SA, filmed in Longyearbyen and San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, alongside new works in analogue photography, on mirror as well as a sound work. These explore how ritual actions and the body’s presence in different landscapes can activate memories, play and possibilities for healing.
Through language, movement and a multichannel soundscape, A-FI-SA opens space for reflection on experiences that are both personal and collective, reflecting the complexity of belonging to the African diaspora. Generational perspectives – a recurring thread in Dæhlin’s practice – are woven into the works: the third-generation artist, with roots in Norway, Mexico and Cameroon, shares the stage with her daughter. Together they create situations where bodies and landscapes challenge and shift assumptions about identity and belonging alonga north-south axis.
The exhibition grows out of Dæhlin’s residency at Artica Svalbard in 2023,ongoing dialogues with collaborators in Mexico and Svalbard, and herlong-term engagement with themes of identity, migration and multilingualism. The word afisa is repeated in the work as an attempt at connecting with Medumba, a Bamiléké language in Cameroon. Its embodied meaning lies less in semantics than in how language can activate memories and connection.
The body – both as a site of experience and communication, and as something observed, interpreted and judged – runs as a strong current throughDæhlin’s practice. She directs, confronts and shifts the viewer’s gaze while carefully balancing between stereotype and identity politics, without succumbing to either. In A-FI-SA. But it might not be tomorrow, landscape, language and the body emerge as the three central pivot points.
A-FI-SA. But it might not be tomorrow is commissioned and supported by Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum. The project is realised with support from Regional project funds (The Art Centres of Norway), The Norwegian Visual Artists’ Fund, The Audio and Visual Fund, Arts Council Norway, Atelier Nord, Artica Svalbard, McColl Center and Norwegian Art Associations.
Maritea Dæhlin, APARECER (2025)
When I See You. I See a Garden
When I See You. I See a Garden unfolds through three live iterations presented within the exhibition A-FI-SA. But it might not be tomorrow. The exhibition draws from Maritea Dæhlin’s performance practice into video, photography, sound and text, while the live works move back toward the presence of the live body, voice, collective situations and shared space.
Solo
30 August 12:00–16:00*
A stripped-down solo work where voice, text and presence form the core of the situation. Through minimal actions, shifting vocal structures and live presence, the work returns to the body and to performance as a central site within Dæhlin’s practice.
*The performance will take place at an undisclosed time during the exhibition’s opening hours.
Collective Sound
13 September 12:00–16:00
A four-hour durational collective work for five performers, developed as a score for voices, text and sound. Language moves between meaning and sound: at moments spoken, read or sung, at others dissolving into fragments, silence and improvisation. The audience is free to move in and out of the space. The performance is part of Ultima 2026.
Gathering
11 October 12:00–14:00
A performative gathering for adults and children, where food, conversations, listening and small actions emerge and unfold over time. The work moves between gathering and performance, inviting audiences into a collective and shifting live space. The performance is part of Black History Month Norway (BHMN).
Bio
Maritea Dæhlin (b. 1986, Oslo) lives and works in Norway and Mexico. Dæhlin is an interdisciplinary artist working with performance, sound, video, photography and text. Her practice unfolds across both live and exhibition-based formats, from solo performances and collective situations to video and sound installations, with an exploration of voice, listening and shifting perspectives as recurring themes.
Dæhlin is educated at Nordic Black Express in Oslo (2005–2007) and holds a BA from Dartington College of Arts in England (2007–2010). Her work has been nominated for Kritikerprisen (2020) and the Hedda Award (2022), and has been shown at venues including Black Box teater, MUNCH, the Sydney Biennale, the Center for Performance Researchin New York, Centro Cultural España in Mexico City, Defibrillator Galleryin Chicago, and San Agustín Arts Centre in Oaxaca. A-FI-SA. But it might not be tomorrow is Dæhlin’s first solo exhibition in Norway.
