Renowned artist Stefan Christiansen from Kråkerøy since graduating in 1999 has primarily worked with designing art in public spaces.
It is safe to work with art in public, because you have predictability in the client and there are longer projects that span over several years. Kristiansen says gallery art is less predictable, but I like to switch between the two ways of working.
Alternating working methods
He is currently completing two major Art in Public Spaces (KORO) projects, and now wants to create a free art project.
– It’s nice to have the award, and it comes in a very comfortable place. I like to contrast with task based assignments and create free art where I just decide. Art in gallery rooms or elsewhere is freer, and that’s only up to me. The advantage of public spaces is that they have budgets, and there is scope for creating art in all possible materials, such as wood, stone and granite. It provides security and plenty of opportunity.
With this year’s Provincial Artist of the Year award comes a cash prize of 175,000 kronor.
– But the man Sheep Not money. It is work to be done, assures the artist, who in his next project wants to take his work off the beaten path.
[ Eksperimentelle Tulle er første mottaker av kommunens kunstnerstipend ]
Natural art after corona
How exactly the upcoming project will be, will not say much specifically about it.
– It’s only in the drawing stage so far, but I want to create artistic experiments in nature. Definitely a bit unfamiliar places, maybe that makes it a bit secretive. I imagine I could make a map or a book or a brochure, showing where it is, so people could get outside, and they might have to put in a little effort to try this, says Christiansen, who also has work on display at the Østfold Kunstenter summer fair through August 21.
He believes that the past two years have provided a lot of inspiration for the project.
Post-Corona project. Many walked in nature more than usual, it was an experience I made myself too – at all known exit points the parking lots were full. Then I found out that it was more fun to go my own way. This is what I imagined, but I’m not sure it will happen. That may change. I can only change my mind when I decide.
[ Linda har vevet seg fram til arbeidsstipend fra kommunen ]
unanimous decision
All nominees for the award were rigorously evaluated by a professional group, and Stefan Christiansen’s nomination as District Artist of the Year was unanimous, he writes Viken County Municipality.
– The concerned group has done a good and good job in evaluating the candidates. Always prompts to choose from many good candidates, but I’m confident in the professional group’s assessments, and I fully support the recommendation, says Tony Christensen (Labor), county council member for Culture & Diversity.
The expert group describes Christiansen as follows, in an excerpt from their justification: “An artist delivers at a high professional level. Consistently experimental and exploratory within a current topic that strikes a broad audience without compromising artistic independence. In this project, he will take the natural diversity of Viken as a starting point, and connect it directly to the province in a way that integrates the viewer and stimulates participation.”
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