Under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Ekely and Åsgårdstrand Fragments: Galleri Ask, Åsgårdstrand, Norway

Exhibition Title

The Tree of Knowledge

Exhibition Text

‘The Tree of Knowledge’ takes as its starting point a collection of sketches that Edvard Munch himself referred to as ‘The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil’ (‘Kunskabens Træ paa Godt og Ondt’), a compilation of drawings, prints, and colorful handwritten texts, the purpose of which remains unknown. The exhibition proposes interpreting this collection as Munch’s attempt to map out his own working method, utilizing text and imagery drawn from his career and the locations where he worked, including Åsgårdstrand and Ekely.

Following a residency in Munch’s winter studio at Ekely, I am presenting new paintings and drawings on paper and wood panels. These works, modest in scale, explore themes of repetition, solitude, and the cyclical return to specific motifs; they invite close, contemplative observation. Alongside these, I am exhibiting 3D models and sculptures that offer a reinterpretation of Munch’s studios and homes at Ekely and in Åsgårdstrand serving as spatial studies of architecture, light, and atmosphere.

The film ‘Beneath the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil’ will premiere at Galleri Ask. Combining documentary footage from Ekely, staged sequences, and animated, painterly interventions, the film fosters a dialogue between still and moving images.

Throughout the exhibition period, I will be present in the gallery, creating new drawings and smaller paintings while also acting as a gallery host. In this way, the artistic process becomes visible to the public, inviting direct conversation.