Exhibited at Sukkerbiten: 4.12.21-11.1.22 

For eight years, Helge Skodvin has photographed around the country for the last weeks before Christmas. He has visited amongst other shopping malls, parking spaces, town halls and schools. He photographed meeting rooms and cantinas at dentist offices, used car sales garages, banks and plan- and building authorities. The photographs document how Norway portrays itself each year around this time. 

Skodvin is observing how the difference between the idealized “bird feeders and wreaths-christmas” and actuality is in fact huge. There is a gap between expectations and reality. It is in these observations that the photography of this project is created. 

When we look closer, it may turn out that our notion of the Norwegian Christmas is not as Norwegian as we think, full of imported traditions and of aesthetic as well as social norm ambivalence, with imported plastic Christmas trees from China, American Christmas music in the streets and turkey at more and more Norwegian Christmas tables. Skodvin’s project also sheds light on the modern consumer mentality and the conflict between use and disposal, compared to sustainability, climate and the environment.

I forbindelse med åpning av utstillingen vil det bli arrangert en kunstnersamtale mellom kurator Linda Bournane Engelberth og Helge Skodvin

In connection with the opening of the exhibition, an artist talk will be arranged between curator Linda Bournane Engelberth and Helge Skodvin

Helge Skodvin’s photographs are part of Fotografihuset’s pilot program and are exhibited in an outdoor exhibition at Sukkerbiten in Bjørvika in Oslo. 

Curator: Linda Bournane Engelberth