Grotesker fra Nidarosdomen. Foto: Kunsthall Trondheim
Curious about the strange stone sculptures that peek out of the window at the Kunsthall? These are grotesques made at the beginning of the 20th century, which were formerly part of Nidaros Cathedral, but which were damaged during the fire in the Archbishop's Palace in 1983.
Sunday 3 March at 1.30 pm. we have invited archaeologist and the great story teller Øystein Ekroll from Nidaros Cathedral Restoration Workshop to teach us more about the stories related to the burnt paths from Nidaros Cathedral, which is now on view at the Kunsthall as part of Tongues of Fire.
The guided tour will be held in Norwegian.
Øystein Ekroll
Øystein Ekroll is a medieval archaeologist and Associate Professor (Ph.d.) at Nidaros Cathedral Restoration Workshop, under the National Competence Center for Listed Stone Buildings. Ekroll is one of Norway's foremost experts on stone buildings from the Norwegian Middle Ages and is known for his engaging tours and brilliant storytelling.
During the spring of 2024, we invite you to no less than of four guided tours with Øystein:
Sunday 3 March at 1:30 p.m
Exhibition tour of Tongues of Fire in Kunsthall Trondheim
Tuesday 19 March at 1:30 p.m
Tour of Nidaros Cathedral's archives at DORA
Saturday 13 April at 1:30 p.m
Tour of the Bygghytta at Nidaros Cathedral Restoration work
Sunday 5 May at 1:30 p.m
Historic city walk. starting point is outside Kunsthall Trondheim in Søndre gate.
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In response to our home building's former life as a fire station, and Trondheim's history as a city shaped by blazes whose traces are still present in its design today, this group exhibition brings together artists who have been deeply touched and transformed through the challenges manifest in the burnt and burning. Hailing from diverse generations and backgrounds, these individuals converge to explore how flames have served as agents of change across time and space.
Archival photographs document Kunsthall Trondheim’s home building's former life as a fire station nearby images of key fires in the city's history. One such fire, which consumed parts of the Archbishop's Palace in 1983, is represented through a collection of early 20th century stone gargoyles and other grotesques that once adorned the adjacent Nidaros Cathedral until they were scorched in that event. This incident altered their color and texture from cool stone-gray to a rust-like encrusted orange. These carvings find reflection in several other objects on loan from the Cathedral dating back to the 12th century. Each, in its own way, bears witness to Trondheim's connection to both the burnt and the burning.
The participating artists are Anna-Kaisa Ant-Wuorinen, John Gerrard, Noémie Goudal, Lungiswa Gqunta, Agnieszka Kurant, Ana Mendieta, Tuda Muda, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Gala Porras-Kim, The Atlas Group in collaboration with Walid Raad, Hannah Ryggen, Sin Wai Kin, and Thu Van Tran.
Read more about the exhibition
The exhibition is supported by The Fritt Ord Foundation and The Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute (FINNO).