Artist and gallery owner Øyunn Iversen.
A quirky gallery bringing art to the people With the idea that art should be accessible to everyone, a new and different gallery has opened in Enebakkveien 20 at Galgeberg in Oslo. Galleri Kladden is a lowthreshold, artist-run gallery with an inclusive attitude. Focusing on interaction and information, and on promoting new and unknown artists from Norway and beyond, it is a place to discover art, get inspired and have fun along the way. By Ingrid Opstad | Photos: Galleri Kladden
Are you tired of galleries and museums that feel sterile and impersonal? Then we suggest visiting Galleri Kladden in Oslo for quite a different experience. “We are a new and unique gallery with the aim to showcase new and unknown artists from around the world,” says Øyunn Iversen, who started the gallery in partnership with Brahim Sandli and Kjersti Austdal. “We wanted to create a place for young and unestablished artists. A place run by artists for artists.”
Creating non-traditional art spaces The artist and art enthusiast further explains that she has been producing so24 | Issue 131 | December 2019
called non-traditional art spaces since 2013, focusing on creating happenings out of the ordinary. “I have, among other things, run art-themed rave parties combining electronic music with artwork. I also worked for several years as an art agent and, as a result, created an art bar at the Sommerøya festival in Norway, and also developed an art and wine concept where we paired these two elements together,” she says. After a somewhat restless life, Iversen decided to open a cultural centre in Brugata in Oslo, where Kladden Gallery originated. It was after the cultural
house went bankrupt that she decided to invest fully in the gallery and her love of art.
Maximalism and experimental art Opened in August this year, Galleri Kladden allows visitors to explore everything from maximalism to experimental art with a big focus on interaction. You can touch it, listen to it, sometimes even taste it. “We have created a less strict environment to experience the art in,” Iversen smiles.