MON COEUR FAIT VROUM
The Norwegian gallerist Kristin Hjellegjerde curated this year 20 exhibitions for her two gallery locations in London and Berlin, a museum show in Norway at Vestfossen…
In the right context, repetitions can be a beautiful thing – or to put it another way, less can indeed be more. So the tradition of the so-called “Three questions” – an easy way of finding out what it is that drives artists in their work – seems a natural fit for Coeur et Art. Consider the three questions as a catapult into the mind and viewpoints of the protagonists. All you have to do is read, watch the images arising before your inner eye and let your heart go vroum!
As Pablo Picasso once said,
Everything you can imagine is real.
These days taking up space is a frequent calling when it comes to female leaders and the perception of women in our society, particularly in the art world. And rightly so.
One great example is Kristin Hjellegjerde, who certainly has been taking up space on the international art scene since she started out in 2012.
The Norwegian gallerist curated this year 20 exhibitions for her two gallery locations in London and Berlin, a museum show in Norway at Vestfossen “Kubatana”, with 33 artists from 18 different African countries and 4 art fairs. She clearly has vision, verve and a lot of energy.
But something else distinguishes her too, even it sounds clichéd: her artists are like family to her. Naturally we have been visiting the Berlin dependance of Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, run by Kristin’s equally talented sister Eva, regularly since it opened in 2018.
On top of that there is an extremely engaging story to tell (and storytelling is what we thrive on), one that concerns the Norwegian countryside with lots of sunshine and elks and a girl who used to read books to escape…
Interview with Kristin Hjellegjerde
Before diving into this story, which includes a rock star marriage and Martine Poppe getting accepted into the UK Government collection as the first Norwegian artist ever, we just had to ask Kristin our Three Questions and this is how it goes!
1. Aesthetics and work processes aside, which emotions do you seek to trigger with your work and why?
The inspiration to live and be true to yourself; love, laughter, seriousness and a touch of political daring, much
needed today.
2. If you could change something in the art world, what would it be?
It would be for more collectors to buy work by emerging and mid-career artists and to mix the excitement of the next
generation with the stellar names at the top end of the market.
3. The future is…?
Complicated. But we will twist that with more knockout shows in Berlin and when we move our space in London to London Bridge.
Rock on!
Vanessa Prager Mirror, Mirror
13 September – 2 November 2019 Berlin
Private View: 12th of September, 18:30 – 21:00
Yassine Balbzioui Wild Gardens
5 September – 5 October 2019 London
Private View: 4th of September, 6:30 – 9pm
Read more about Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery here!
Author: Esther Harrison
Photo Credits: Martin Peterdamm