Kistefos is open until November 17
Bridge outside, museum inside and architectural marvel as a whole, The Twist it twists in its center at the same time that it connects the two banks of the Randselva river.
This contemporary art gallery bears the signature of the prestigious architecture studio BIG-Bjarke Ingles Group and is part of Kistefos Sculpture Park in the middle of a forest in Jevnaker (Norway).
A) Yes, The autumn of the Scandinavian country is presented as the most interesting on a cultural level , with The Twist hosting an international program of exhibitions beginning with Hodgkin & Creed – Inside Out.
Kistefos is located 80 kilometers from Oslo
“Kistefos is made up of an industrial museum, an art gallery and outdoor sculptures " bill Birgitte Espeland , director of the Kistefos & The Twist Museum, to Traveler.es
And if discovering The Twist was already more than enough of an excuse to travel to Norway, this year Kistefos also premieres new permanent sculptures by Elmgreen and Dragset, Guiseppe Penone and Tony Oursler. An architectural and artistic appointment that we do not plan to miss.
A LIVABLE BRIDGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST
“A livable bridge” This is how Bjarke Ingels, creative director of BIG, Kistefos' new architectural institution, describes it.
"The building of 1,000 square meters it takes a sculptural form, turning at the midpoint as it crosses the Randselva River to connect the north and south sides,” explains Birgitte Espeland.
The sensation is that of walking through a camera shutter
The new Kistefos museum doubles its interior exhibition space and gives a singular –and literal– turn to the park.
Accessing through the south Entrance, the visitor crosses an aluminium-clad steel bridge that takes him to a double-height space from which the entire building can be seen to the north entrance.
In the north entrance , a glass wall offers a panoramic view of the landscape, with the old pulp mill and mill.
The building is the work of the BIG-Bjarke Ingles Group studio
MUSEUM, BRIDGE AND SCULPTURE
“The Twist is a hybrid space that is both a museum, a bridge or a habitable sculpture” declared Bjarke Ingels.
As a bridge, the building completely reconfigures the culture park and turns the tour into a loop , since it can be accessed from both ends.
As a museum, he establishes a connection between various spaces , because due to the shape of the windows, the natural light that enters the museum creates three different zones.
“The Twist is a hybrid space that is at once a museum, a bridge or an inhabitable sculpture”
On one side, the vertical gallery on the south side , hidden from sunlight and artificially lit. On the other hand, the horizontal gallery, on the north side, with natural light and panoramic views of the river.
And besides, it appears a third space that unites the previous two: the turn.
And finally, in the center, The Twist, with a twisted beam of light on the ceiling it is integrated into the park, becoming one more sculpture of it.
A RIDE WITH TWIST
From any direction, the visitor who enters this twisted gallery experiences the feeling of walking through a camera shutter.
The effect of movement is perceived both inside and outside. The facade is made with aluminum panels –a clear nod to the industrial past of the place– arranged as a stack of books or deck of cards that moves slightly.
The Twist, Norway's new architectural attraction
The interior follows the same common thread, this time with white painted spruce slats on the walls, ceiling and floor.
The capacity of compartmentalize, divide or merge the different spaces of the gallery provides flexibility for the museum's artistic program, which can now be visited.
The Twist on its opening day
THE KISTEFOS SCULPTURE PARK
Located 80 kilometers from Oslo, Kistefos was established in 1996 by Norwegian businessman and art collector Christen Sveeas in the old premises of his family business.
It is one of the largest sculpture parks in northern Europe and currently has 46 sculptures by Norwegian and international artists.
'S-Curve' by Anish Kapoor
The most recent work is Shine of Life, by Yayoi Kusama , which finds its inspiration in the nature, water and industry of Kistefos and which was shown in May 2019.
In addition, in the complex we can find works by artists such as Tony Cragg, Anish Kapoor, Marc Quinn, Jeppe Hein, Philp King, Illya Kabakov, Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson, Fernando Botero. and Lynda Benglis.
'The Path to Silence', by Jeppe Hein
THE PROGRAMING
The first exhibition of The Twist bears the name Hodgkin and Creed - Inside Out and collects important works by both artists, from both public and private collections.
Also, in the Art Hall –which occupies the old Nybruket factory building– , we can visit the collective exhibition Tempo Tempo Tempo , focusing on eight contemporary artists based in Norway: Ragna Bley, Marthe Ramm Fortun, Ane Graff, Yngve Holen, Sandra Mujinga, Urd J. Pedersen, Eirik Sæther, and Fredrik Værslev.
These are not fixed objects, but living entities: each of Tempo Tempo Tempo's works fades, shifts and glows, connecting the interior of the exhibition space with the surrounding Norwegian society and landscape.
Hodgkin and Creed - Inside Out
The 2019 season of Kistefos ends on November 17 so hurry up and plan your trip to Norway to see first hand one of the cultural destinations that is giving the most talk.
Kistefos Sculpture Park is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Randselva River as it passes through The Twist