Momentum 12 – curatorial statement

TOGETHER AS TO GATHER

The artist collective Tenthaus will curate Together as to gather, the twelfth edition of the MOMENTUM biennale, which will take place from 10 June to 8 October 2023 in Alby on the island of Jeløya and in Moss, Norway.

2 November 2022, Jeløya, Norway

We have been walking and thinking about the land and environment of the island of Jeløya, which is home to Alby Farm, the location of Galleri F15 and the MOMENTUM 12 biennale.

The Tenthaus collective, gathered up by sea currents and tides, was formed in the Oslo Fjord and is now moving to the beaches of Jeløya. Driftwood is directed ashore in the same way. Used for millennia for creation, from fire to art making – perhaps driftwood is an evocative metaphor for our vision for the biennale.

Although we have such imagery in mind, we do not intend to be thematic.

Tenthaus as an arts collective is moving toward a model of polyphonic co-authorship. Polyphonic suggests the harmonic possibility of producing more than one independent melody at a time in a single composition.

To a great extent, this is how the Tenthaus collective functions; each individual practice both resonates and amplifies itself through collective work. We produce and involve many themes and curatorial ideas at the same time. In this way, we are able to explore a myriad of concurrences; subjects and artistic forms each carrying resonance and meaning.

In “Together as to gather”, we practice a gathering methodology. Our intention is to begin from the practices of the artists we invite and to work from there. This means that each member individually curates an artist, before coming together to find the common threads of connection.

We are gathering knowledge, but also making experiences. Being together in a collective has given each of us invaluable tools and resources that enable us to do what we could never have achieved on our own. So we continue this practice of gathering; affirming the power of working in spontaneous ensembles, moving to and from, between the individual and the collective, trusting the process and one another.

This practice expands throughout our ecosystem, both locally and internationally.

We are gathering artists, designers, editors, newspapers, our artist-run gallery neighbours, international biennales, and local schools to share a variety of art projects over the course of the biennale. Through this process, we will explore what intuitively comes out of gathering people, places and things; locality before local identity.

We do not know where the current will take us or which constellations will arise. Artists, visitors and places connect through our collective projects, where exhibitions tend to be a beginning rather than a conclusion. We will explore ideas connected to artworks, texts, radio programmes and talks.

We invite you to join us in making this a moment of gathering. Come visit us in Oslo or Moss. Get in touch here.

From November 2022 to October 2023, we will share weekly radio broadcasts. Tune in to Radio Tenthaus for the first programme for MOMENTUM 12 on 23 November at 8 pm CET.