Welcome to the exhibition opening
Bone-Dry Marrow and Fluid Flow by Mikael André Jacobsson
Friday, November 15 at 19:00

 

In the exhibition Bone-Dry Marrow and Fluid Flow I explore sculpture and painting as both a material-based and intuitive expression. Each sculpture is built from recycled urban materials—iron, concrete, cardboard, plastic—reflecting the cityscapes from which they’re sourced. Techniques like welding, casting, and layering embrace each material’s inherent character, guiding a process that ties these sculptures to their origins as discarded urban debris.

 

Following the American artist, professor and curator William Seitz’s (1914-1974) perspective on assemblage, these sculptures transform “waste” into renewed objects, urging viewers to reconsider what we throw away and why. Reclaiming these materials has socio-economic and environmental significance, inviting reflection on the lives of objects typically deemed unwanted or unseen. By reusing discarded materials, I explore a form of change, giving trash a new purpose while drawing attention to our consumption habits.

Each sculpture emerges through a layered, reactive approach, building a sturdy core from found fragments, later covered in paper-mâché, putty and paint. The resulting forms, often with personalities of their own—playful, rugged, or curious—reflect how overlooked objects can gain expressive power. Seen alongside my paintings, these works share formal traits such as texture and layering, creating a dialogue that elevates the intrinsic value and story embedded in everyday materials.

 

Both the paintings and sculptures draw inspiration from discarded and recycled objects. There’s a beautiful, abstract quality in the microscopic—the detail of a plant or a discarded object in the street. Using a blend of older sketches with fragments collected from the places where I source my materials has been the base of inspiration. The semi-figurative paintings capture direct observations from these places—a shape that might resemble a man, a boy, or perhaps a character conjured from scrap—a face or figure emerging from various objects. Beneath these items, I often find insects, often beetles, a tiny society, hidden in the discarded layers.

 

Mikael André Jacobsson (1989) is based in Oslo and Stenungsund (SE). He has his MFA from Bergen Art Academy (2023) and his BFA from Trondheim Art Academy (2015). Recent exhibitions include Mlag (Bergen, 2024), Høstutstillingen (Oslo 2023), the MFA exhibition at Bergen Kunsthall (2023), VAN ETTEN at Large, Atelierhof Kreuzberg, (Berlin 2022), and solo shows at Hulias (Oslo 2020), and Galleri Rosenhøy (Oslo 2018).