Sveinung Rudjord Unneland (N)
Jaws / Januarynineteenthtwothousandandeight

The geological monolith is naturally created through history, as one massive stone, and the word monolith conveniently means one stone. The architectural meaning of the monolith, on the other hand, is a definition of a building where the structural material, most commonly concrete, is poured into place. While the naturally created monolith is a result of a process impossible to rush, the architectural monolith is a result of our lack of patience. Jaws manages to be both: a time-consuming modelled column cast in concrete. This two-part monolith stops time. The monolith has in a split second captured a bird, twigs and other unfortunate objects and has thus frozen a particular time and place. Both this and the neighbouring work in TEMPO Skien 2008, Januarynineteenthtwothousandandeight, question time and the superficial. One question these works provokes is how our contemporary experiences will be preserved when most parts of it are perishable and superficial. A recreated heap of snow from January 19th 2008 is positioned in the outskirt of Bryggeparken until October, leaving time for us to contemplate this and much more. Both works are parts Sveinung Rudjord Unnelands’s ongoing series of works entitled Future and past combined.

About Sveinung Rudjord Unneland
Sveinung Rudjord Unneland is active as an artist, scenographer and curator. His works come across as a lot more light hearted than his themes suggest. By using his experiences from theatre in his art, and from his art in the theatre, he is addressing his longstanding interest in evil, doubt and the superficial.

Sveinung was born 1981 in Farsund, Norway. He graduated from the Bergen National Academy of the Arts in 2007, and today he lives and works in Bergen, Norway. In May 2008, right before TEMPO Skien 2008 opens, he will open the exhibition called Re.* Doubting Telling Objects. at Visningsrommet, Bergen, Norway where he acts as both curator and participating artist.