Is it possible to say anything about God?

Not as propaganda. Not as authoritative dogma.
Nor ironically or caricatured?

Is it possible to say anything about God as a presence?
Or as an absence?

You are welcome to join us for the opening reception
Thursday, March 29, 6-8 pm

Special performance by the C4 chamber choir at the opening

GOD IS THERE is the title of an Art Exhibition which explores themes such as the Word, Prayer, Creation and the Least Amongst Us. Different media like installations, texts and images are used. An extended version of the exhibition will be shown in Rundetaarn in Copenhagen 15.03 – 27.04 2008 and we hope in Oslo the following year. However, the first exhibition will be in the Trygve Lie Gallery in New York March 29 - April 29, 2007.

Grete Refsum (Norway) is a research artist, Associate Professor at Oslo National Academy of the Arts. Her education spans from science (MA 1977) to art (Diploma 1985, Hovedfag 1991) and PhD (2000).Artistically, Refsum works on central Christian themes and religious issues.

Her artwork is regularly exhibited and used liturgically in ecclesial spaces. Scientifically, Refsum contributes to the international discourse on research within art and design. In the exhibition God is There Refsum focuses on meditative prayer, showing experimental rosaries and a text in glass cuts written on the floor. Her visual and textual expressions are interwoven in a subtle way that challenges our understanding of prayer, language and interpretation in today’s world.

Marianne Rønnow (Denmark) is a visual artist working with multimedia and conceptual art. She understands art as research and play. Rønnow is a frequent exhibitor and well experienced with artistic commissions. Her principal themes are: Peace - Communications - Nature - Christian Spirituality and Humour. For the exhibition God is There she has made a series of prints.

Rønnow is educated at The Danish School of Design in Copenhagen. she has participated in many group exhibitions - among others: The Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam, Peace Park in Hiroshima, Kunstverein/Kunsthaus in Hamburg, ”Aplaceofnextcentury” in Athens, Convent des Carmes in Bruxelles, The Conference of Environment in Rio de Janeiro, Gøteborg Museum of Art in Sweden, Hjørring Museum of Art in Denmark and the University of Bruxelles.

Barbro Raen Thomassen (Norway) expresses her art through various media such as installations, land art, sculpture and drawing. Her attention is often drawn to the overlooked, the rejected, the almost invisible.

In the exhibition God is There she has embroidered a story about Torstein, who was her neighbour most of his short life. Torstein was multi-handicapped and had no language. He had, however, a special gift to touch people by his mere presence. And he loved music. The embroidered story tells what happened when Torstein went to a concert with Ann Sinclair, who visited Norway summer 2004.
She has participated in international exhibitions like Toyamura Sculpture Biennale in Japan, Small Sculpture Triennial of Budapest, Nordic Drawing Triennial in Sweden, the land art projects Bunker-95 and Genius Loci in Norway. She has made installations with the poet Paal-Helge Haugen for Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Arendal, and Inselgalerie, Berlin. Her last project “As for man, his days are as grass” was made for Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, Kristiansand 2006.

Read artists statements

You are welcome to join us for the opening reception
Thursday, March 29, 6-8 pm