(w)ORD

In the middle of the June heat-wave this year, a group of Norwegian and Scottish artists converged at the remote settlement of Tormore, directly opposite Iona on the southwest coast of Mull. In an unfamiliar Scottish setting of baking heat, the 10 artists took part in boat voyages, geological field trips, swimwalks and Gaelic and Norse language workshops. They carved tools and modelled local clay, developed collective ideas and individual visual narratives, dragged canvas sheets across the moors, played cards and boules, cut reed pens, cast lead fishing weights, hoisted flags and barbecued freshly caught fish on the nearby beach.

This was the (w)ORD collaboration between Scottish and Norwegian Artists. The project was instigated and co-curated by SSA member David Faithfull and Bergen-based artist Imi Maufe, representing BAG ArtCamp.The invited SSA artists were Jon Macleod, Rhona Fleming, Calum Wallis and Katharine Aarrestad. The Norwegain delegation comprised of Sarah Jost, David Rios, Randi Annie Strand and Marit Tunestveit Dyre.

(w)ORD recognised the many cultural and historic links between Scotland and Norway and the SSA’s own strong historic Nordic links, particularly their invitation to Edvard Munch to exhibit at their Annual Exhibition in 1931. The idea of contemporary Scottish and Norwegian artists looking at common historical, cultural and geographical connections, was first developed by Imi and David whilst on a residency with the Bergen Atelier Gruppen in Norway in 2017. 

This residency was the first part of (w)ORD, a joint BAG ArtCamp and SSA project, with potentially a reciprocal residency in Norway and exhibitions planned in the future.

Full details of the (w)ORD Residency can be found at w18ord.blogspot.com.