Alessandro Marchi
(He/him)
Address: Veterinærhøgskolen Atelierfelleskap, Ullevålsveien 72, bygg 10, 0454 Oslo
Floor: 1
Room number: 109
The studio is open Sunday 27 April from 12-17
My artistic practice delves into the human-altered landscape, ownership dynamics, and public space, exploring the perpetual negotiation and modification of our inhabited environments. Through experimental and site-specific endeavours such as installations, events, artist books, walks, sculptures, textiles, maps, paintings, texts, and video pieces, I investigate the intersection of economics, politics, and spatial planning in shaping public spaces.
I am committed to non-commercial pursuits, utilising various media to sustain my research-focused approach. My work centres on revealing how public spaces are moulded and contested by social forces, employing both performative and craft techniques to engage audiences in this discourse. Mapping is at the core of my practice and I want my art to be situated in a sweet spot between being informative and entertaining.
Relational - Performative - Textile - Photo - Audio - Public Space
Ingemannsretten.
Wood carving and paint.
5 totems 30 diameter x 170
Public installation at Galleri F15 for Momentum Biennale
Moss, Norway
If it wasn't for Detroit.
Hand tufted rug
2023
New Positions at Simone De Sousa gallery
Detroit, Michigan, USA
It is never too late to find gold
2024
3 channel video installation and series of 8 embroideries
Taming of the Landscape. Mikovíniho dom, Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia
Promised Land
2024
Exhibition at SESESA. Oslo, Norway.
3 channel video
3 thermal photographs
1 handmade rug
A common thread across my recent works is the research on the Real Estate State, as articulated by Samuel Stein in "Capital City" (Verso Books, 2019). This concept explores the influence of real estate ownership on politics, public space, and tax regimes. In this project, I investigate the intersection of real estate and data centres.
While researching in 2021 for the Critical Walks in Stavanger I came across a story, which I revisited recently, and it developed (sadly) in a way that confirms many of the problems that I touched upon with my works on real estate.
The narrative unfolds in 2009 when Smedvig Eiendom secured the rent of a former NATO base beneath the mountains of Rennesøy from Stavanger city at a low price. Within the confines of a nuclear-proof tunnel system, Smedvig erected Green Mountain's first data centre. Fast forward to 2021, witnessing a pivotal moment as Israel's premier Real Estate company, Azrieli Group LTD, acquires 100% of Green Mountain's share capital from the Smedvig family for a substantial NOK 7.6 billion (USD 862 million).
What if, in 1973, Norway had relinquished control over its oil concessions and the North Sea? Fortunately, foresighted governance secured Norway's wealth. Yet, in the digital age, as Norway cedes control in the growing data sector, what repercussions await future generations?
The project transports viewers across various locations, each representing a node in Green Mountain's expanding network of data centres. The results are presented as a video work scored by a soundtrack derived from field recordings around the data centres, a series of thermal images, a map and a series of rugs.
The result is a sensory fusion that unravels the complexities of the dynamics behind data, capital, real estate, public space, private ownership and international politics.
A company wanting to establish a data centre looks at 3 main criteria:
Proximity to a power source
Low Cost of Electricity
Easy Access to water for the cooling system
Cool Climate
Political Stability
Low Price of Real Estate
Low Chances of Natural disasters
Norway, by meeting all the above criteria in many locations, is the Promised Land of data centres.
In my studio
In my studio you will find textile works in process, a preview of two upcoming movie productions, refreshments and coffee, maybe a glass of wine, ongoing music production maybe, some records on sale, some prints and textiles on sale, rugs and a bit of chaos.
Planned projects and exhibitions
2025
– Release of the first episode of the soap opera “Snake Oil” a collaborative project under the artistic persona ROSE HAMMER;
- Release of the movie “a fistfull of tomatos” in Oslo and Madrid.
- Critical Walks “Empty Houses” new chapter of the longstanding series of walks
2026
- 5 months residency at La Cité des Arts in Paris.
CV
Selected Exhibitions
2024 Group Exhibition: Taming of the Landscape. Mikovíniho dom, Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia. December 2 – 15, 2024
Group Exhibition: Edition Fiber 2024. Materia, Detroit, Michigan, USA. June 20 – July 20 2024
Duo Exhibition: “Promised Land”, Sentrum Senter for Samtiden. Oslo, Norway.
2023 “If it wasn’t for Detroit”. Materia. Detroit, Michigan, USA. October 14 – December 31 2023
“Scores for Malmö”, SPARK – samverkansplattform för arkitektur & konst. Malmö, Sweden. October 20 – November 19 2023.
“Ingemansretten”. Momentum 12 Biennale at Galleri 15, Moss, Norway. Curated by Tenthaus. June 10 – October 8 2023.
“Mølleøy Mill Island”. Gallery Gampa, Pardubice, Czech Republic. Septemebr 29, 2023- February 25, 2024.
“If it wasn’t for Detroit”. New Positions, Simone DeSousa Gallery. Detroit, Michigan, USA. March 11 – April 8 2023.
“Public Portal”. Of Public Interest (OPI), Stockholm, Sweden. June 7 – 21, 2023.
“Agit Soap Workshop” with Rose Hammer at Guttormsgaards arkiv. Blaker, Norway. August 9 – 26, 2023
2022 “Vem äger Gröndal?”. OPI Studio, Stockholm, Sweden. October 5, 2022 – June 10, 2023
‘MølleØy – the workshop’ Detroit Kunsthalle, Jæren (NO) and Studio 17, Stavanger, Norway. Part of the project ‘MLÝNSKÝ OSTROV (MILL ISLAND)’ (2022-2024)
2021 “Experiences of Oil”, Critical Walks season 3 at Stavanger Kunstmuseum, Stavanger. November 12, 2021 – April 18, 2022 – With the support from KORO and Norske Billedkunstnere
Solo Exhibition. “Critical Walks Season 2” – Series of public walks. With the support from KORO, Oslo Kunsthall and Onomatopee Projects. May 27 – June 15, 2021
“Samhold Gir Styrke” – part of Temautstilling 2021 SKOG, at Spriten Kunsthall in Skien, Norway. Septemebr 17 – October 31, 2021.
“På ubestemt tid”, Startblokka, Oslo. June 4 -14, 2021.
2020 “Critical Walks” at Høstutstillingen. Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo. Norway.
“Critical Carpets” at “Rights of Way” at Onomatopee, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
“Norwegian Episodes 2": “The Radical Flu” by Rose Hammer, radio play, osloBIENNALEN.
2019 “A portable sound station for a post apocalyptic party on the run.” Sog(Ai). Tveten Gård, Oslo.
“Monster Ramble”. Public Installation, Steinfort, Luxembourg.
“Norwegian Episodes 1”. Rose Hammer, theatre performance, osloBIENNALEN.
2018 “Cigarettes”. Arbeidswerk #4 at ROM FOR, Haugesund, Norway
Solo Exhibition. “Self Realisation Machine”, Studio 17, Stavanger. April 1 – 30, 2018.
2017 “Cigarettes”. Arbeidswerk #2 at Stavanger Sentrum curated by Studio 17
“Symphony for a One String Orchestra” at Rogaland Kunstsenter. July 1 – 31, 2017.
“It feels like being in the real world” at Rogaland Kunstsenter’s Atelier
“Contactos. Making Pictures”, at Calle San Bernardino 5, Madrid.
“Hybrid”, at Habitacion 101, Madrid.
2016 Solo Exhibition. “Stereo Walks”, at Der Kanal, Berlin
2015 Solo Exhibition. “Variables Ocultas” at Espacio Trapezio, Madrid, Spain
“Variables Ocultas” at “Rock Your Dummy” award at Paris Photo, Paris, France
2014 “Paradise Lost” / part of “Right Time, Wrong City” at NMNP project space, Stavanger, Norway
“Common Areas” at Medika, Zagreb, Croatia
2012 “Maintenance of Heterotopia”, Tou Scene, Stavanger
2011 “Floating Across Possible Breakdowns” at the International Photography Festival Format in Derby, UK
“Even the Storks fly back to Africa”, Goethe Institute, Riga, Latvia
Grants
2024 Arbeidsstipend – 3 years – Kunsthåndverkernes Fond
Kulturdirektoratet – Norsk Fotografisk Fond
Kulturdirektoratet – Fond for lyd og bilde Prosjektstøtte
2023 OCA International Support Fund – Public Portal in Malmø
OCA International Support Fund – Public Portal in Stockholm
KORO (LOK)
Billedkunstnernes Vederlag Fond (BKV) – 1 year artist stipend
2022 Billedkunstnernes Vederlag Fond (BKV) – 1 year artist stipend
2021 Prosjektstøtte fra Billedkunstnernes Vederlagsfond (BKV)
Billedkunstnernes Vederlag Fond (BKV) – 1 year artist stipend
2020 KORO Local artist extra support during Corona pandemic
OCA International Support Fund
Kulturrådet Diversestipend for nyutdannede kunstnere
Kulturrådet NKF (Norsk KulturFond) Exhibition Support
2016 Kulturrådet Diversestipend
2015 Kulturrådet Diversestipend
Residencies
2022 Artist in Residency at “3583 Dubois st”, Detroit. Founded and run by Anders Ruhwald in partnership with College for Creative Studies and Cranbrook Academy of Art. Supported by Norwegian Crafts.
2019 Antropical. One month, 20 artists worked under the theme “Play until United”. Steinfort, Luxembourg.
2018 Studio 17 – Gallery Residency – 1 month, Stavanger, Norway
2017 Stavanger Kunstnerleilighet Studio Residency, 2 months, Berlin, Germany
2015 Intercambiador Acart, 4 months, Madrid, Spain
Espacio Trapezio, 1 month, Madrid, Spain
Education
2023 Post Master Program OPILab at Kungl. Konsthögskolan, Stockholm, Sweden
2020 MFA – Master of Art and Public Space, Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo, Norway
2013 Northern Lights Master Class in documentary photography. Groningen, The Netherlands
2002 MSc – Master in Mechanical Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna, Italy