Artscape Nordland -  an international Art Project                                         
in 33 municipalities of Nordland - with artists from 18 countries

32 of the 45 municipalities in Nordland County decided to take part in Artscape Nordland, in addition to one municipality in Troms County (Skånland).
The project officially started in 1992, and was completed in 1998. Sculptures, located in beautiful, varied and often brutal landscapes on the coast of the Atlantic, will be found in 33 of the 45 municipalities in the county. An art gallery without walls or a ceiling - and covering an area of 40.000 km².
The project originated in a comprehensive debate about the role of art in society. The County of Nordland, with its 240.000 inhabitants, does not have an art museum - and people must travel long distances to study modern art in museums and galleries.

On the municipalities' pages you will find information about the different communities and their history. You will also find maps pointing out the location of the sculptures, and a description on how to get there.
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The artists participating in Artscape Nordland were carefully chosen.
It was important to have several Norwegian artists in the project, as well as artists from the other Nordic countries and all over the world.
Among the invited artists are both internationally celebrated artists, and young sculptors in the beginning of their carreers. They represent different generations, variation in artistic approach, and different geographical and cultural backgrounds.
Before making a final draft, the artists visited their sculpture's host municipality. During their stay they learned about the culture and history of the communities, and chose a location for their artworks.

The idea of a collection of modern art in Nordland, one sculpture in every municipality and with the landscape as gallery, was first presented in 1988.
The underlying idea of the project is that a work of art creates a place of its own through its very presence in the landscape. The sculpture also visualises its surroundings, thus giving the place a new dimension. The dialogue resulting from the encounter between the sculpture and spectator reveals different ways of understanding and interpreting art.

The artworks in the collection represent the art of sculpture from the '60s to contemporary time.
The idea of sculpture as a "site-construction" indicating function related to a specific milieu, is a concept which developed during the '70s This led to a radically new understanding of sculpture.
Artscape Nordland is mentally and historically founded on this concept. The specific milieu and the natural environment of the area define the basis of artist's selection.
The climate conditions of the area were also a fact to bear in mind. They related both to the physical demands made of the durability of the works, and to the philosophy of the four seasons.
Another crucial factor was the fact that the works were to be placed in their locations permanently. This meant that the intervention of a temporary scenario had to be avoided, as had the reliance on a specific concept or way of thinking. To impose a thematic programme on a whole region would have implied too narrow a focus.

Artscape Nordland can be viewed in its entirety, in which case the individual works represent certain lines in the development of sculpture during the past three decades.
It can also be seen in terms of the individual works, when the important thing was for each to provide a strong and individual artistic statement and presence.

The artists' pages will tell you more about the artists and their contribution to Artscape Nordland.

Text collected and shortened from Artscape Nordlands' website