Linda Morell’s Oil nebula exhibition at S12 Gallery

Between 28 January and 2 April 2023 visitors to Norway’s S12 Gallery can see Linda Morell’s mixed media exhibition ‘Oil nebula’.

This installation uses the concept of the abyss – the vast, cosmic sea as described in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667), which separates earth from hell – as a metaphor for societal collapse.

The project draws parallels to the jellification of the oceans, where ecosystems are changing and new organisms thrive.

The exhibition, consisting of works in ceramic, glass, wood and aluminium, strives to mythologise the defamiliarised Earth. S12 states, “The works form a visual language which speaks about the future of the oceans and humanity, whilst forming the inhospitable sea of the abyss itself. Like Milton’s abyss, simultaneously described as the world’s cradle and its grave, the exhibition becomes an ouroboros focusing on both the perils and prospects of the future.”

Linda Morell’s sculptures and installations form speculative futures based on myths, science and medicine. She is known for her minimalistic and sterile expression, where the human body is a recurring theme. In ‘Oil nebula’, Morell has moved towards a new and warmer expression, with more figurative and realistic elements.

Several of the works in ‘Oil nebula’ have been created at the S12 Gallery over the last few years.

Linda Morell holds an MA in contemporary art from The Art Academy in Bergen and a BA in contemporary art from Konsthögskolan i Umeå. In 2020 she was awarded the emerging artist award from Norske Kunsthåndverkere. Her work has been acquired by KODE art museum, Sogn and Fjordane art museum.

S12 Gallery is at Bontelabo 2, 5035 Bergen, Norway.

Find out more about Linda’s work via this link.

Image: One part of the installation, ‘Paradise Lost’ is made from fused Bullseye glass and burnt pine. Photo: Øystein Thorvaldsen.