Uten tittel (2019) by Anders Gjennestad
Uten tittel (Untitled) is located at the bottom of the open-pit mine and consists of two human figures made of Corten steel and galvanised steel. The work measures 6 × 6 metres and is viewed from a distance, from the footbridge and a platform higher up in the landscape. Visitors cannot move towards the figures, but view them from above, as part of an inaccessible area of the mine.
The figures appear to be floating above the ground, or to be caught in a moment between falling and buoyancy. The shadows are a central part of the composition and contribute to an illusion of depth and spatiality. Although the work is composed of flat steel elements, the figures can be experienced as three-dimensional forms in the landscape. Depending on the viewer’s position and attention, they can appear to be resting, floating or moving. In this way, the work creates uncertainty about the orientation of bodies in space and our relationship to gravity and perspective.
The work is surrounded by vegetation that constantly changes the character of both the artwork and the area. Throughout the year, the figures appear and are hidden again as plants and bushes grow around the installation. Nature thus becomes an active part of the work’s expression, and the experience of the artwork changes over time. Just as the open-pit mine itself is shaped by both human activity and nature’s slow reconquest of the site, the work is part of a continuous process of visibility and concealment.
Anders Gjennestad (b. 1980, Arendal), known by the artist name Strøk, lives and works in Berlin. He is particularly known for his monumental works based on photography, stencil technique and street art.
