Gentle Actions – Art – Ecology – Action
Kunstnernes hus, Oslo, 2010
Gentle Actions was a process based and interdisciplinary social sculpture focusing on art, ecology and action shaped and curated by Anne Karin Jortveit and Eva Bakkeslett in collaboration with Maaretta Jaukkuri at the gallery Kunstnerens hus in Oslo in 2010. It brought together 50 participants across 10 interactive and collaborative platforms, including art projects, dialogues and talks, presentations, workshops, discussions, and an extensive film programme.
Gentle Actions explored inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental issues through an ecological lens. The project sought new cultural methods for addressing the complexity and scale of the environmental crisis by making a space for ecological thinking and action beyond conventional frameworks. The exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experience was central to the project, creating links between theory and practice, and between material and immaterial production. Gentle Actions brought together artists, scholars, cultural activists, and an engaged public, encouraging collaboration across disciplines and professional boundaries. Participants came from the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, as well as from wider cultural and civic fields.
Gentle Actions began in the summer of 2010 with the The Artists Garden. The formal lawn in front of Kunstnernes Hus was transformed into a vibrant vegetable and herb garden. Throughout the summer, the garden hosted workshops and served as an inviting introduction to the wider project. The harvested produce was used to prepare a shared meal for the opening night. The Opening Weekend featured an international seminar on art and ecology, followed by workshops the next day. Both days were fully booked.
A documentation room on the ground floor was an integral part of the project. Curated by art historian Nina Sundbäck-Arnes Kaasa, it provided historical and contemporary perspectives on environmental art. Visitors could view significant video works and explore a wide selection of literature recommended by the contributors to the project. The space became a popular meeting place, with an informal reading area that encouraged discussion and exchange. The room also featured Oslo Reef – a large, collectively handmade crochet coral reef created by numerous participants.
The film programme featured 50 films, and was curated by Oslo Dokumentarkino presenting documentaries and art-house films offering engaging, poetic and critical perspectives on environmental issues.
Kunstnernes Hus extended its opening hours throughout the project period, and all gallery spaces were activated, with most art projects located on the first floor. Fretex (The Salvation Army) generously lent second-hand furniture, cups, and glasses for the project. All items were offered for sale, with proceeds supporting Fretex’s charitable work.
LINKS:
Gentle Actions Program Norwegian
Gentle Actions Program English
Filmprogram Gentle Actions
Gentle Actions Opening Seminar “The Art of Looking Sideways”
Gentle Actions Seminarprogram åpningshelgen
See some of the talks here
Bios of the presenters at The Art of Looking Sideways
Gentle Actions English Report
Rapport – Gentle Actions, norsk
Collaborators and financial contributors to Gentle Actions
Norsk Kulturråd // Fritt Ord // Kunstnernes Hus // Norges forskningsråd // PLAN prosjektet ved Universitetet i Oslo // Den kulturelle skolesekken // Billedkunstnernes Vederlagsfond // Mondriaan Foundation// Oslo kommune // Cultura Bank // Oslo Dokumentarkino// Senter for Økologisk Økonomi og Etikk ved Handelshøyskolen i Bodø // Nordnorsk Kunstnersenter // Nordland Fylkeskommune // Oslo og Omegn Økologiske Hagebrukslag // Bilkollektivet // Stiftelsen FLUX // Fretex