H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway opened Henie Onstad Kunstsenter's large exhibition about the Atlantic Ocean

– Through this exhibition, I hope many of us will open our eyes to new contexts - and to increased knowledge about the ocean that has shaped us over the millennia, said the Crown Prince during the opening speech. 

– There is a blue thread running through Norway's history. The ocean has given us work and food on the table, and it has always been our connection to the world around us – and perhaps also to our hopes and dreams. 

Five years in the making 

The ocean, with its vast depths and boundless surfaces, has fascinated artists for centuries. It is a symbol of romantic longing and drama and an arena for exploration and conquest of new territories and resources. In our time, the ocean has come under threat from acidification, overfishing, rising sea temperatures, and melting ice, and the northern oceans are particularly vulnerable. 

– Norway's relationship with the Atlantic Ocean has a long history, and the sea is inextricably linked to Norwegian culture, tradition, and economy. One of the biggest challenges we face today is the ocean's increasing vulnerability, both in terms of resource extraction, littering and warming. Henie Onstad is proud to present an exhibition that highlights an urgent topic while at the same time pointing to a long historical significance, said Anne Hilde Neset, director of the Henie Onstad Art Center. 

This international-themed exhibition was initiated by former director Tone Hansen in 2018. It has been postponed several times due to Covid-19 and its aftermath. The fact that it has now opened after more than five years is a great joy for the museum. 

Social issues across culture and nature 

The exhibition explores how art, myths, and science meet in the northern Atlantic Ocean. The exhibition presents around 140 works of art from the 15th century to the present day and presents a wide range of ideas about the North Atlantic. How has this ocean area shaped people's lives and longings over the centuries? 

– The exhibition is part of a series of interdisciplinary exhibitions at the Henie Onstad that delve into current societal issues across culture and nature, said Susanne Østby Sæther, Senior Curator for Photography and New Media at Henie Onstad. She has curated the exhibition together with Stefanie Hessler, Director at the Swiss Institute in New York, and Knut Ljøgodt, Director of the Nordic Institute of Art. 

– Through a varied selection of works by key contemporary artists, the exhibition illuminates the decisive role of the ocean in many of the pressing issues of our time, including climate change, migration and extraction of natural resources, said Hessler. 

– The exhibition demonstrates how Norwegian and international artists throughout the ages have been fascinated by the ocean, how Norway as a seafaring nation is reflected in the visual arts, as well as highlighting the role of the northern Atlantic Ocean in the history of art, said Ljøgodt. 

The Atlantic Ocean. Myths, Art, Science presents both historical works and completely new works made for or adapted to the exhibition. It also shows several historical and contemporary artists who are rarely shown in Norway, such as Gösta Adrian-Nilsson, Dineo Seshee Bopape, John Constable, Joan Jonas, Jean Painlevé, Trevor Paglen, Allan Sekula and J.M.W. Turner. 

Among the themes covered in the exhibition are mapping and extraction, Romanticism and the ocean, everyday life and work at sea, migration and colonialism and the ecology of the ocean. 

The exhibition is followed by a richly illustrated catalogue, published in collaboration with the Italian publisher Skira, with newly written texts by Camilla Brattland, Stefanie Hessler, Melody Jue, Knut Ljøgodt, Martin Olin, Patrik Steorn and Ove Stødle. The editors for the catalogue are Susanne Østby Sæther, Stefanie Hessler and Knut Ljøgodt. 

Several works in the exhibition are on loan from national and international institutions and private collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Tate Britain in London, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo, the National Museum in Stockholm, Moderna Museum in Stockholm, Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, the National Library in Oslo, Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas (DNV) at Høvikodden, Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum in Tromsø, FRAC Bretagne in Rennes and TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary in Madrid. 

The exhibition is supported by Nadia and Jacob Stolt-Nielsen Veldedige Stiftelse, Formue, Bergesenstiftelsen, Blystad Group, Leif Høegh Stiftelse, Viking and Clarksons. The catalog is supported by Stiftelsen Fritt Ord and the side program is supported by The Norwegian UNESCO Commission and Fondet for dansk-norsk Samarbeid. 

The exhibition has been approved as an activity under UNESCO's Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.