Christine Istad

Istad is working with photography, video and installation.
She lives and works in Oslo, Norway.

Through photographic studies, Christine Istad highlights details in modern architecture. Her photographs are analogue and refer to the real time and place in which they were taken. The motifs appear abstract and dissolved. Their detailed sections and optical effects creating new spaces, depths and rhythms.
Identity, relationship between people, society and modern, high speed cities are topics that concerns the artist. The close-up studies of towering architecture and densely packed urbanity implicitly reveal her interest in mankind's capacity to confront and adapt to alienation and find small 'pockets' for physical and psychological space.
The result is reminiscent of a principle of cultural anthropology, where the aim is “to make the familiar strange and the strange familiar: What happens to inherited traditions and fundamental values when high technology and efficiency become the defining powers in our lives? And how is the balance between man and nature maintained when the individual is increasingly defined as a "mechanical figure"?
The works focus on the contrasts found in our most modern and innovative metropolises, where ...

1985-1987 Westerdals School of Communication, Norway
1983-1984 Parsons School of Design, New York
1982-1983 Strykejernet Art School

Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2020 'Delirious Metropol', Gallery Semmingsen
2017 ’Skylife Dissolved’, Gallery Semmingsen
2017 ’Interconnection’s, Gallery Svae
2014 ’Made in Hong Kong’, Gallery Semmingsen
2014 ’Insight Outsight’, Kunstgalleriet Stavanger
2010 ’Speed pulse/City Pulse’, Gallery Trafo, Norway
2009 ’Something Between’, Art Museum KUBE, Norway
2009 ’Moments’, Kunstgalleriet, Norway
2008 ’TOKI’, Molde International Jazz Festival, festival artist
2005 ’Elevator’, Henie Onstad Art Center, Norway

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2020 ‘Open Space Group’ Fundação Dom Luis in Cascais, Portugal
2019 ‘Open Space Group’ Trondhjems Art Society, Norway
2018 ‘Cosmoscow 2018’ with Sundero Gallery
2016 ’Everything Else is Too Narrow’ Bærum Art Hall
2015 ’Traveling SUN The movie’ at Arctic Circle Assembly, Iceland
2015 ’HERFRA’ group show, KUBE Art Museum, Ålesund, Norway
2015 ’Anniversary Show’ at NOoSPHERE Arts New York
2014 ’Winter Anti Depression Show’ Marres Maastricht, The Nederlands
2013 ’Liquid Borders’ Bari 2013, Italy, ’Minimalen Short Film Festival’, Trondheim, Norway
2013 ’LNM without paint’, Norway
2013, 2012 ’Open Space’ Tromsø Art Hall and Museum Midt, Norway
2011 ’Open Space’ at Zoe...