Archive for October, 2012

Magne in Dresden / VG review

Signing autographs on the red carpet in Dresden

Magne appeared at the annual HOPE-Gala in Dresden, Germany on Saturday night. He was there together with The Voice winner Martin Halla, who performed at the event. Money raised at the HOPE-Gala will help benefit the fight against aids in South Africa.

Martin Halla also performed at the opening of Magne’s Bouquet exhibition on Thursday, which can be seen in this video clip.

VG’s art critic Lars Elton gave the Bouquet exhibition a good review (5 out of 6) in Friday’s newspaper. “Magne Furuholmen has proven that he’s more than capable as a visual artist. This [retrospective] exhibition shows that he’s been so for a long time”, Elton writes.

“It’s particularly the woodcuts that stand out, and seeing them again now surpasses the memories of how good they are. Formats of up to three meters tall enhance the experience, but it’s the intensity of the raw expression, the use of the tree’s growth rings and the strong use of colours that have made these images stand the test of time.”

Lerche: “Paul is writing some great material”

Sondre Lerche is currently touring in Norway. In an interview with newspaper Gjengangeren he mentions Paul, who he often meets up with in New York:

“It would have been fun to collaborate with Paul. He’s writing some great material at the moment and is showing no signs of slowing down, even though a-ha is history.”

Magne: “I want to do something different”

"I get restless and disillusioned when I feel I'm repeating myself in my art", Magne tells Budstikka

Budstikka has an interview with Magne today, in connection with his anniversary exhibition Bouquet which opens at Galleri Trafo in Asker tomorrow.

“I hope this exhibition will challenge me to leave everything behind and start on something different. It may even be something other than art. I like to challenge myself and step out of situations that are starting to become successfull”, Magne tells the newspaper.

“I have a basic scepticism to being seduced by success. That’s probably a pop-injury. Ask people what they connect with a-ha, and 90 percent will answer “Take On Me”, which I wrote as a 15-year-old. That song has become so defining, and I don’t like to be defined”.

“I’m bored silly by artists who end up being slaves of their own success, and who don’t want to visit their darker sides, where everything is chaos”, he says.

The Bouquet exhibition, which has the same title as Magne’s outdoor installation nearby, will be open from October 25th to November 25th at Galleri Trafo (slightly different dates than what was first announced).

Torchlight procession for Lambda

Oslo, October 23rd 
(Picture from NTB/Scanpix)

Magne was one of the organizers of a torchlight procession in Oslo tonight, in support of a new Munch museum – or more specifically the Lambda alternative in Bjørvika.

Although Lambda won the architectural competition for a new museum, politicians in Oslo still haven’t been able to agree on which alternative to choose.

“It’s frustrating to see so little action and so much quarrelling about such an important topic as [Edvard] Munch. Lambda won the competition, that’s why it should be built in Bjørvika”, Magne told Dagbladet.

“It’s also fun to march in a torchlight procession for something, especially as this is the first time I’m taking part in one”.

Related links:
Dagbladet   Aftenposten   NRK.no   newsinenglish.no

“I’m The One” music video

Although it’s not supposed to premiere until October 26th, the music video for Morten’s new single “I’m The One” is already available on Vimeo, posted by one of the directors.

Update Oct 26th: the video was later removed, but has now officially premiered on the website of Universal Germany. You’ll notice this final version is entirely in black/white, while the version on Vimeo was in color.

Shot in Berlin earlier this month, the video was directed by Frank Hoffmann & Christopher Häring and produced by Mutter & Vater, the same production company behind the “Scared Of Heights” video.

The release of the single (digital only), which features a new single mix, has been pushed back to November 23rd. Promotion in Germany will include an appearance on TV Total Turmspringen (Pro7) on November 24th.

A Bouquet from Magne

Bouquet 
(Picture from Budstikka)

Magne’s massive outdoor installation Bouquet was officially unveiled in Asker yesterday, in connection with the opening of group exhibition “Kunst Rett Vest”.

“Although this is more of a cover-up than an unveiling”, Magne joked.

By using a gigantic nylon sheet, Magne has completely covered a building called Torvgården and decorated it with tulip-coloured anagrams using the letters in “Kunst Rett Vest”.

This particular building is often referred to as the Aalto Vase because of its characteristic shape – a vase which is often used for tulips.

“I used the connections to the tulip vase as a basis, which in turn inspired the title and colour pallette. And then I’ve just used the letters in “Kunst Rett Vest” and made different anagrams. I’m not the one to judge the result, but I hope it freshens up the place a bit”, Magne told Budstikka.

Update: Magne’s upcoming anniversary exhibition at Galleri Trafo will apparently also be called Bouquet, according to an update from the Magne F mailing list. The exhibition is open from October 25th – November 25th.

Santiago concert, September 30th

Santiago, Chile, September 30th

Morten ended his South American solo tour on Sunday night, with a concert at the Caupolican theatre in Santiago, Chile.

Video clips: YouTube   Photo gallery: agendamusical.cl

Morten is now going to do some sessions with Swedish producer Peter Kvint in October and November, possibly aiming for a new solo album in the fall of 2013.

“I’m seeing Peter when I’m done with the tour now. I’m going back home and we have a session set up to write more music. I’m curious, because it’s been very interesting to work with him”, Morten said last Friday, at a meet & greet with Argentinian fans backstage in Buenos Aires. There’s a 10-minute video from it here.

Powered by WordPress