Archive for August, 2012

a-ha photo exhibition in Oslo

a-ha in New York, fall 2008, while working on the Foot Of The Mountain album 
(Photo by Stian Andersen)

To coincide with the upcoming release of Stian Andersen’s a-ha photo book, there will be a sales exhibition of some of his photos at the Stolper + Friends gallery in Oslo, opening this Thursday, August 30th.

Here’s some info from the gallery:

Book cover

“Stolper + Friends is pleased to announce an exhibition of photographs by acclaimed music photographer Stian Andersen.

The photographs, documenting both intimate and iconic moments during the last 3 a-ha tours, are taken with analogue film camera – apparent in the grainy, atmospheric quality of the images.

The exhibition comprises 19 unseen photographs from Stian Andersens forthcoming book, a-ha: 1994 – 2010: Photographs, to be launched in September.”

The large photos are available for purchase, each in a limited edition of 5 copies.

The exhibition will be open until September 16th, giving those who are going to Oslo for the 30th Anniversary weekend next month a chance to see it as well.

 

The pre-sale of the limited edition photo book ends on Saturday, September 1st. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been possible to order the book for several days now, due to technical problems with PayPal. The book is not sold out yet, so hopefully the problems will be fixed soon. Update: the PayPal problems have now been solved, and the pre-sale is working again!

In addition to 200 photos, the book includes a foreword by Magne and an interview with the guys, done by music journalist Morten Ståle Nilsen.

More info in a new 2-part interview with Stian on a-ha.com: Part 1   Part 2

Update 2: Additional interviews with Stian, in Norwegian, have now been published at foto.no and nrk.no.

Morten to receive Green Music Award

Picture from BILD

Morten is set to attend the fifth annual Clean Tech Media Award show in Berlin on September 7th, where he will receive the Green Music Award.

This particular award is presented for the first time this year, and goes to Morten for his long-standing focus on electric cars, renewable energy and protection of the rain forest over the last 25 years.

“As a public figure, I have an opportunity to focus attention on environmental issues and thereby perhaps creating more environmental awareness. The “Green Music Award” is a way of doing that and I am very honored to receive this award”, Morten says in a press release announcing the award.

Jury member Jacob Bilabel says: “With his passionate commitment to electric cars and renewable energy, Morten Harket has shown what environmental protection and clean energy means to him. He also shows a great willingness and persistence to integrate it into his lifestyle. In short, he is a great ambassador for green ideas.”

Morten will also be performing during the award show, which is held at the Tempodrom venue in Berlin.

Magne turns down The Voice offer

Magne was recently approached by TV2, asking him to reprise his role as mentor on a second season of The Voice in Norway.

But he turned down the offer:

“I told them that my obligations were to the talents that I believe in, and that I will try to keep what I promised: doing my best to help them build a career in music.

So it was not an option for me to do another season before I’ve given it a real try. I don’t want to sit there and make promises to new contestants, without having followed through on my plans for the previous ones”, Magne tells Dagbladet.

Fellow The Voice mentor Sondre Lerche has also said he’s not interested in doing another season.

Instead of The Voice, TV2 will air a new season of Norwegian Idol next spring, although the channel claims this had nothing to do with Magne and Sondre’s decision.

Exhibition opening at Vinstra

Magne and Håvard Vikhagen at Vinstra on Wednesday, August 1st 
(Picture from Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen)

Magne and Håvard Vikhagen’s joint exhibition, held as part of the annual Peer Gynt culture festival, opened at Vinstra yesterday.

“Magne is a bit like Peer Gynt. They have both had many spectacular experiences and been through a lot”, Vikhagen tells newspaper Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen.

Magne agrees that there are similarities between himself and Ibsen’s iconic character:

“There are several parallels. When I’m juggling many balls in the air, I have a tendency to add even more balls. Both Peer and myself have a lot of life experience. We are also both easily fascinated, while at the same time maintaining a critical attitude. And we want to experience something all the time. But we’re always longing for a place to belong”, he says.

The exhibition at Vinstra includes a selection of works from “Futura Plus”.

“I create art from a musical point of view, where emotions play a large part. I’m not afraid to get involved and be present. Hopefully I’m able to make my art sing. Either way, it’s exciting to be exhibiting together with Håvard”, Magne says.

The Furuholmen/Vikhagen exhibition at Vinstra is entitled “For jeg er født til kunstner, ser du” (a quote by Ibsen) and is open until August 11th.

Related links:
Sunnmørsposten   Budstikka.no   Photos at galleripikene.com

Magne decorates Røkke’s luxury yacht

Aglaia 
(Picture from lars-g.dk)

Over the years, Magne has created artworks for several cruise ships. Now his art can also be seen on a different kind of ship; he has recently decorated the enormous sail of luxury yacht Aglaia, boatinternational.com reports:

“(…) Suitably for a boat named after the Greek goddess of beauty and splendour, Aglaia is also a gorgeous-looking yacht. Chief among her charms is the painting by Norwegian artist Magne Furuholmen on her Code 1 sail, which at about 3,600m2 (both sides of the 1,787m2 Cuben Fiber sail) is one of the largest fabric paintings in the world.

The owners had a series of Furuholmen pieces on board and after the christening chose to make his art a more integral part of Aglaia’s DNA – by putting his work on her sail. Furuholmen was given no specific brief and he told the owner he would make no sketches (‘you’re going to have to trust me’).

‘When I got asked to do this particular commission, I decided to take a modern approach to portrait paintings of 100 years ago,’ Furuholmen says from the deck of Aglaia. ‘It’s my interpretation of a history. I try to find an angle that both has a connection to the context in which the work is going to be placed and a connection to that person whom I’m portraying.’ (…)”

Aglaia is owned by Norwegian billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke. The controversial business man is supposed to have paid around $100 million for the luxury yacht, which was launched in March 2011. Aglaia also includes art by Magne’s good friend and fellow artist Nico Widerberg.

More pictures of Aglaia, with Magne making a visit onboard, can be seen at photographer Lars Gundersen’s website at lars-g.dk.

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