Kistefos

6 Aug 2012 – with Ai Weiwei

A weekend of goodbyes to friends while M&B and Olai (his first train ride/6+hrs) are away in Oppdal. Sat with Ingrid & HansK grilling and enjoying the outdoor fireplace. There was a huge fire earlier with an apartment block in town and we could see the smoke from the garden. Appreciations to the Hustads for this lovely day and evening.

Sun: drove by Utøya to pay respect to the victims of the shootings a year ago. It is difficult to imagine that such tragedy took place on this idyllic island.

App 45mins drive north-west of OSL is Kistefos Museet, situated in beautiful surroundings by the river Randselva. This might be the only time it is tempting to be between 4-8yrs again as that is the age limit for the playgrounds 🙂

The former wood pulp mill is today an industrial museum and the only remaining wood pulp mill in Scandinavia. The museum offers annual art exhibitions and the sculpture park i lush and green and perfect for picnics thanks the efforts of investor and art lover Christen Sveaas.

Thanks to Mette & Sturla for this wonderful day. Hadeland Galssverk will be included in the next posting. What a nice way to say farewell for now.

The featured exhibition here today is Ai Weiwei the communicator – the documenting, analyzing, interweaving artist who communicates via many channels. Weiwei already used photography in his New York years, but especially since his return to Beijing, he has documented the everyday urban and social realities in China.

Ai Weiwei was detained on April 3rd 2011 by the Chinese authorities because of his political activities, and released on bail June 22nd 2011. But Ai Weiwei is still today, banned from leaving the country. 