Mind the Map
In 2014 Norway celebrated the 200-year anniversary of its constitution. To mark this occasion, Punkt Ø/Galleri F 15 invited Selene Wendt to curate an exhibition that also included archival maps from around the time of the signing of The Moss Convention, which was the peace treaty that formed the basis for the union between Sweden and Norway. Historical maps were complemented by a more comprehensive presentation of contemporary art, featuring work by artists who work with cartography and maps either directly or in a more subtle manner, resulting in an exhibition that was political, poetic, conceptual and highly visual, revealing issues related to power structures and geopolitics seen from the perspective of a world in constant change. The historical aspect of the exhibition emphasized the importance of Moss to the outcome of Norwegian history. Expanding the parameters of the exhibition from the topic of a local site of national importance, the work of these international contemporary artists helps to emphasize the importance of a more global perspective rather than an overly nationalistic one. Participating artists: Mona Hatoum, Bouchra Khalili. Joyce Kozloff, Miler Lagos, Kevin Simón Mancera, Julie Mehretu, Fabio Morais, Vik Muniz, Rosana Ricalde and Susan Stockwell