Nilsebu 2 - 78° 55,929’ N 011° 50,133’ E
- Artist: Hanne Borchgrevink
- Creation date: 2011
About
Houses often take centre stage in Hanne Borchgrevink’s art. In this picture, the house is portrayed with vertical stripes of varying width that form a rhythmic effect in black, white, and grey, and that also outline the building’s structure. The titles of Borchgrevink’s works rarely reveal the whereabouts of the given house. In this case, however, Nilsebu refers to a recreational cabin used by employees of the Kings Bay coal-mining company in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the high Arctic.
There is a dualism in Borchgrevink’s imagery: the houses can seem poetic and harmless, but they can also seem closed and unapproachable with their isolated location and dearth of entrances, sometimes without doors or windows altogether. One of the artist’s hallmarks is that she strips her work of all unnecessary details. Her starting point is a formalistic exploration of the painted surface. It is the formalist composition and the essential questions of painting that constitute her project. With almost scientific precision she undertakes to study the inherent potential of shapes and colours. In the beginning of her career Borchgrevink also painted animals, interior scenery, and people, but the house motif gradually took over. This motif provides an endless wealth of formalistic opportunities, even as it allows the viewer to engage in free association. The house is an archetype that we fill with our own memories and experiences.
Hanne Borchgrevink trained at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry and at the Norwegian Academy of Fine Art, with Arne Malmedal and Ludvig Eikaas as her teachers. This painting was acquired by the museum when she was the featured artist at the Bergen International Festival in 2011.
- Creation date:
- 2011
- Object type:
- Painting
- Materials and techniques:
- Akryl på lerret
- Material:
- Canvas
- Dimensions:
- Height: 120.5 cm
- Depth: 3.5 cm
- Width: 145.5 cm
- Keywords:
- Visual art
- Classification:
- 532 - Bildende kunst
- Inventory no.:
- NMK.2011.0189
- Cataloguing level:
- Single object
- Acquisition:
- Kjøpt 2011
- Owner and collection:
- Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design, The Fine Art Collections
- Photo:
- Børre Høstland
- Copyright:
- © Borchgrevink, Hanne/BONO
Nasjonalmuseet's collection catalogue is a living resource of information gathered since the 1830's. Some records may contain language or ideas that today could be perceived as outdated, offensive or discriminatory with regard to for instance gender, sexuality, ethnicity or disability, and that may be at odds with the museum's values regarding equality and diversity.
Do you have suggestions for how this record can be improved? We would like to hear from you!
If you would like more information about specific objects in the collection or about objects that haven't been published online, please contact the museum. You can read more about how we work with the collection and our cataloguing practice here.
Other works by Hanne Borchgrevink
UtgangspunktHanne Borchgrevink1988
Camp ZoeHanne Borchgrevink2013
Huset og veienHanne Borchgrevink1987
ShedHanne Borchgrevink1996
Camp Zoe 3Hanne Borchgrevink2021
Camp Zoe 2Hanne Borchgrevink2013
NattHanne Borchgrevink2012
DyretHanne Borchgrevink1981
InteriørHanne Borchgrevink1986–1989
Vinter, SvolværHanne BorchgrevinkAntagelig 1977 (plate) / 1977 (trykk)
SolveggHanne Borchgrevink2000
Camp ZoeHanne Borchgrevink2015





























