In the exhibition «Ušlu», Åsne Kummeneje Mellem brings us to the meeting point between Kven handicraft – käsityö – and contemporary art. The work mainly consists of wool textiles dyed with materials such as lichen and juniper, materials that both present and past generations have worn close to their bodies. Wool is both intimate and a bearer of stories, making it a link between past and present.

The title «Ušlu» is taken from the Kven name for Oslo, which still does not have an official name in either Kven or Sámi. Much about the Kven heritage remains uncertain; some things were never written down, and important sources no longer exist. Mellem uses art to explore the gaps between what is known and unknown.

Curator/producer: Mesén
Client: Bane NOR Eiendom

On show inside Oslo central station, by the escalators leading down to the metro