Participating artists:
Andreas Lian, Arild Fredriksen, Bengt Moberg, Hans Otto Minge, Håkon Grønlien, Håkon Henriksen, Idun Baltzersen, Jan Kolstad, Kjell Nupen, Nina Bjørkendal, Tom Lid, Trine Lindheim and Veronica Lund
Throughout history, graphic art has been closely linked to the dissemination of knowledge, ideas and images, from books and pamphlets to artistic prints. This role gives the medium a democratic dimension, allowing art to reach a wide audience and contribute to public discourse.
At the same time, graphic art has undergone major changes in recent decades. It is no longer limited to paper and classic techniques such as woodcut, lithography or etching, but has opened up to an expanded field: sculpture, installation, performance, clothing, artist books, digital media, readymades and prints in public spaces. Today, graphic art is both a physical imprint and an idea, both craft and concept. It can be a poetic narrative, a political intervention or a spatial experience. This breadth reflects developments in contemporary art in general, where the boundaries between media are gradually blurring.
As we mark the Year of Graphic Art 2025, we want to highlight this breadth and draw lines back to a decisive moment for graphic art in Kristiansand: the establishment of the Myren Grafikk collective workshop fifty years ago.
Kristiansand Municipality purchased Myren Farm in 1964. The seller, Siren Johnsen, stipulated that the barn should be converted into artists' studios and that the main house should be used for concerts and cultural events. Initially, the municipality established individual studios in the outbuilding, but on 28 August 1975, the Myren Grafikk collective workshop was formally established. The workshop quickly developed into an innovative institution in the field of graphic art, both locally and nationally. The founders and artists who worked there in the early years came to dominate the art scene in Kristiansand for several decades.
To mark the anniversary, we are exhibiting a selection of works from this early phase. At the same time, we are placing them in dialogue with works by younger artists who are currently exploring the possibilities of graphic art. In this way, we wish to highlight how the medium is constantly renewing itself and maintaining its relevance in contemporary art. As in the 1970s, the expressions range from the poetic to the political, from craft-based graphic art to conceptual works. The artists thematise the inherent possibilities of printmaking for mass production and accessibility, but today we also see how the medium takes shape as installations and cross-media expressions, in line with developments in contemporary art in general.
The Myren Grafikk collective workshop The founding document was signed by Håkon Henriksen, Kjell Nupen, Jan Kolstad, Arild Fredriksen and Tom Lid. The purpose was ‘to secure work opportunities for professional artists by providing them with a technically well-equipped workshop; to promote printmaking as an artistic form of expression and to make art accessible to the people’. They wanted to decentralise the art field so that artists would not have to travel to Oslo to print their works. As they themselves put it: ‘Art away from the exclusive! Open the doors to everyone!’
From the outset, there was extensive experimentation with graphic techniques, from classic methods such as etching, lithography and woodcut to monotypes and more innovative approaches. The works in the exhibition reflect the 1970s belief in the collective, a strong political commitment and a clear desire to bring art to the masses. The medium's ability to be produced in large quantities allowed for easy and affordable distribution, making art more accessible. The workshop was used to print posters against Franco, but also programme booklets for the Kristiansand City Orchestra. Here, stage sets were created for the Kristiansand Children's Theatre, courses in graphic art were organised, and students from Agder Folk High School were taught.
With Bravo – Graphics in 2025, we want to draw parallels between this formative phase and today's diverse practices. We see how young artists today, like the generation of the 1970s, are exploring political activism, poetry and spatial installations, but within a field that has become far more experimental and cross-media.
The title of the exhibition is taken from a poster printed at Myren in 1977, inspired by the uncontrolled blowout on the Bravo oil platform in the North Sea. The incident became a symbol of both environmental crisis and political conflict, and for the artists an expression of the role of graphic art as social commentary. By using the same title today, we are referring back to this historical situation; at the same time, we are showing how graphic art can still illuminate and challenge our own time.
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