May 23 – June 21 2014

Marthe Elise Stramrud expresses herself through sculptural compositions of everyday objects and references to both photography and painting. It is, however, ambitious to manifest Sponge Relief either as installation, photography or painting. The traces to traditional art mediums and the representation of mundane material make the works unfamiliar yet aesthetic; by stripping objects off its original function, replacing them within an art context, and combining them to form a new sculptural entity, Stramrud unavoidably points at Surrealist juxtaposition techniques with its aim to create an image of poetic reality.

It is through her unconventional readings and humorous replacements of objects Stramrud creates an uncanny yet poetic language. The domestic sponge is produced to suit a variety of needs and has many different purposes. Framed, as illusionary and utopian photographs or paintings, they create a nearly monochromatic image of a single material, uncanny and ironic at the same time. Isolated from their intended real and domestic context, they inspire a profound reflection on how we construct and perceive the world around us.

Simultaneously with Sponge Relief at MELK, Fotogalleriet will also show Marthe Elise Stramrud, as a dual solo show. Though, each exhibition will function as a separate entity in itself, with MELK showing recently produced work and Fotogalleriet showing Stramrud’s photographs from the period 2011 to 2013.

Marthe Elise Stramrud (b. 1984 Kristiansand) lives and works in Bergen. She graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts from The Bergen National Academy of the Arts in 2011 and attended The School of Photography / University of Gothenburg, Sweden from 2009 to 2010. Recent participations in group exhibitions include Time Place Light Smell at Platform, Stockholm (2014), Turn Turtle at Podium, Oslo (2013), Motlys at OSL Contemporary, Oslo (2013), The Autumn Exhibition (Høstutstillingen) and Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo (2012). MELK has previously exhibited works from Living Room Poetics at Unseen Photo Fair, Amsterdam (2013) and the art fair What a Mess in Fredrikstad (2012).

The exhibition is supported by the Arts Council Norway and Vederlagsfondet.

Animal as Hell – audio guide by Agatha Wara 2014