01 December 2020 – 31 January 2021

Finally, we have the pleasure of welcoming Veslemøy Lilleengen into the BABEL visningsrom for kunst! During December and January she will be using the space as her own studio and work towards an exhibition in February 2021.

“I come from a long line of farmers, I know how to stand in a newly plowed field, I have always known where I belong. But in recent years it has happened that I have woken up at night and been afraid that I do not remember how to plow. That after living more than half my life in the city, I have forgotten how it feels to work with soil.”

Veslemøy Lilleengen focuses on place and belonging through her artistic production. With the project ‘Grunntanker’, she investigates both soil and local history in Trondheim. Using the Japanese technique Hikaru Dorodango, she forms balls of earth from different parts of the city. By sifting the soil, processing it with his hands and finally polishing it with a glass, Lilleengen creates shiny balls of soil in a meditative and time-consuming process. During the studio period at BABEL, she wants to invite audiences from all over the city to learn this technique in exchange for soil from their part of Trondheim and a good conversation.

Due to restrictions visitors must book a ticket at www.hoopla.no, search for ‘grunntanker’ and sign up for your part of the city, or find the links through the Facebook events. The balls that are started during the conversations will be finished by Veslemøy and become a part of the exhibition opening on the 5th of February.

Veslemøy Lilleengen (b. 1975) is a graduate of the Art Academy in Trondheim (2018) and is a third generation artist. She uses her own experiences and point of view in an autoethnographic working method, and the art she creates often takes the form of textile works, sculptural installations and performance. Among other things, Lilleengen has shown works at Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Erkebispegården, Trøndelag Exhibition 2020 and the Annual Exhibition for Norwegian Artisans 2019. At the latter two, she received a debut award for the works ‘Jordtanker’ and ‘Heimstavn’. See more of her work at www.veslemoylilleengen.com and follow ‘grunntanker’ on Instagram to keep track of the project.

Lilleengen takes part in the Atelier BABEL project, and is the first of three artists to use BABEL as their studio. The project is supported by the Trondheim municipality’s cultural fund and intends to shed light on artists’ production conditions. Each of the three artists receives a fee of NOK 50 000 each month for the work they put into the project and the dissemination of this. BABEL exhibition space for art is run by the foundation Lademoen Kunstnerverksteder and is located in Mellomveien 4.

See more of her work at: www.veslemoylilleengen.com
Podcast with Anna og Azra with Veslemøy Lilleengen: www.soundcloud.com