Hazy Fall x 3. Size 100x116 cm. Photo printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Paper 308 gram. Hazy Fall x 3. Size 100x116 cm. Photo printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Paper 308 gram.

After Fall

Solo show at Gallery Semmingsen, Oslo Norway
15th of February to 10th of March 2024
14 photographs

Text by Kristine Wessel

It is with great pleasure I welcome you to the opening of Christine Istad’s exhibition “After Fall” here at the Semmingsen Gallery.
My name is Kristin Wessel. I work at Mesén where I have been responsible for art in public spaces for 25 years. During these years I have had the pleasure of working with Christine on several occasions.
Today we will have the opportunity to dive into Christine’s universe, which challenges the exploring eye in so many ways. Through her choice of motifs, she explores the hidden and surprising details of nature, transposing nature into objects of art and invite us to see the world in new ways.
It was her unique ability to use the camera lens as a tool to transmit her own observations and perspectives; her Gaze, the way she creates her images - their composition, give rise to thought. This is why we in Mesén contacted Christine in connection with the acquisition of art works developing a plan for the artistic decorations for the new hospital in Nordmøre and Romsdal.
With this in mind, Christine has travelled up and down the region working out a plan for a series of photos while all the time insisting on an intuitive use of the camera. On this journey she has made systematic use of glass objects as a sort of transparent wall between the viewer and nature. It is a wall you see through, which tilts and turns the motifs – sometimes turning them into the unrecognizable, at other times conveying something familiar.
«Nature is about to fall”, Christine has written. “Through these glass objects I have an extra lens which helps me focus on the miracle of nature. Sometimes they somehow appear as small pieces of jewelry”. The photos we see around us on these walls today are inspired by this project.
Christine’s willpower shines through when she insists on showing us the nature and the imprints that we humans make on it. She is a storyteller who uses nature’s beautiful compositions like windows to give us new stories from places we believe that we knew before.
The photo series «After Fall» consist of 19 fine art photographies made in 2023, 14 of which are exhibited here today. Through vivid colors, light and contrasts, they capture the artistic, surreal, and dreamlike.
This is not the first time that Christine Istad’s art is in the public eye. She has previously held solo exhibitions in renowned places such as Henie Onstad Art Center, Krona Romdalsmuseet, and Gallery Trafo, and is a well-established part of the contemporary Norwegian art scene. She has also participated in several collective exhibitions abroad, and her pictures have been acquisitioned by well-established institutions such as St. Olav’s Hospital, The National Library and the Prime Minister’s office.
I will end this introduction now and invite you to enjoy Christine Istad’s universe here at Gallery Semmingsen where you can explore this wonderful exhibition.
Thank you for your attention. Congratulations to Christine Istad with this wonderful exhibition!

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Fall no 09, 10 and 11. Size 86x116 cm. Photo printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Paper 308 gram. Fall no 09, 10 and 11. Size 86x116 cm. Photo printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Paper 308 gram.