Uncertain States Scandinavia + Jorunn Myklebust Syversen: 28.4 – 18.6.23

Uncertain States is Norway’s only free, artist-run, broadsheet newspaper for camera-based work. Nine artists from Norway, Estonia, Finland, Poland, and Japan have been invited to contribute to its 18th edition with projects that all defend the idea of love.

In the group exhibition “In the Defense of Love”, the entire newspaper edition is exhibited over nine oversized newspaper pages in Fotografihuset’s outdoor gallery at Sukkerbiten, including Sakurai Ryuta’s photographic exploration of nudity; Sonya Mantere’s portrayal of her mother; Taavi Rekkaro’s documentation of the everyday sadness after the end of love; Lydia Toivanen’s portrait series of her own family; Hilla Kurki’s photographs of “almost all” of the flowers in her mother’s garden, Katinka Goldberg’s coming-of-age story; Ela Polkowska’s bodily snapshots; and The Hays’ visual manifestation of love’s ineffable dimension.

UCSS was started in 2016 by photographers Dagny Hay, Charlie Hay and Tor S. Ulstein. Together, they publish a free, broadsheet newspaper showcasing camera-based art. UCSS has published 18 editions and collaborated with galleries, schools, and festivals such as K-U-K, Vasli Souza, Cyan, Shoot Gallery, Nordic Light, Duesseldorf Photoweekend, Rencontres Arles, Landskrona Photo Festival and MYPH Photography School in Ukraine.

Participating artists in Issue 18:
Ela Polkowska (POL), Hilla Kurki (FI), Katinka Goldberg (NO), Lydia Toivanen (FI), Sakurai Ryuta (JP), Sonya Mantere (FI), Taavi Rekkaro (EE), The Hays (NO)

In Norway, anyone who has received a calling from God can establish his or her own congregation and receive support from the state, as long as the operations are in line with the Religious Communities Act.

“Norges Visjonære” is a re-enactment of a Visjon Norge broadcast, one of Norway’s many free conservative congregational churches that rose out of the Pentecostal movement. The fictitious congregation “Norges Visjonære” is based on actual Pentecostal congregations such as Vision Norge, Brølende Lam (The Roaring Lamb) and Oslokirken (Oslo Church).

In the work “Norges Visjonære”, filmmaker Journn Myklebust Syversen exemplifies how these congregations often correlate faith with donations, taking advantage of people in vulnerable situations. Based on conversations with former members of various religious communities, who tell stories of social control, psychological and physical abuse, she asks whether exorcisms and prayer for the healing of illness in return for money should be legal.

Jorunn Myklebust Syversen is artist and filmmaker. Her debut feature film “Hoggeren” (Maria Ekerhovd/ MerFilm), with actor Anders Baasmo Christiansen in the lead role came out in 2017. The sequel “Disco” (Ekerhovd/Mer Film) with Josefine Frida in the lead role, is inspired by the Pentecostal movement. “Norges Visjonære” is one of these.