BERGEN KUNSTHALL PROJECT (BKP) is a conceptual and performative artwork by Icelandic artist ODEE. Artistic research into censorship, the chilling effect, and the boundaries of artistic freedom.
Icelandic artist ODEE submitted vague plans for his final MFA artwork — a mysterious large-scale mural — the University of Bergen (UiB) reacted with alarm. Refusing to reveal the work’s content in advance, ODEE found himself at the center of a bureaucratic standoff that nearly cost him his spot in one of Scandinavia’s most prestigious exhibition halls. But what the university feared most — an uncontainable work of institutional critique — is precisely what they got…
Bergen Kunsthall Project is proud to announce the appointment of Friðrikka Eysteinsdóttir as its new Director. With immediate effect, Eysteinsdóttir steps into leadership at a pivotal moment in the Project’s expanding critique of institutional systems and aesthetic control.
OUR SPOTLIGHT
OPEN LETTER:
KATRINE HJELDE
To the Head of Department for the Faculty of Art, Music and Design at the University of Bergen calling for accountability following unlawful censorship ahead of the MFA graduation exhibition at Bergen Kunsthall.
Open Letter to Katrine Hjelde
To the Head of Department for the Faculty of Art, Music and Design at the University of Bergen calling for accountability following unlawful censorship ahead of the MFA graduation exhibition at Bergen Kunsthall.
This is not merely an academic dispute; it is a direct assault on the artistic process, student rights, and the role of institutions that claim to foster critical, experimental practices. It serves as a warning to future students that any work deemed too provocative or uncomfortable may be suppressed through administrative decisions rather than supported, exhibited, and debated.
Conceptual art should not be treated as an anomaly at an institution claiming to train contemporary artists. My practice is rooted in culture jamming—a historically grounded artistic tradition—and this has been evident through internationally recognized projects like We’re Sorry and MOM Air.
Art students accuse the ‘art authorities’ of silencing and censorship.
Two master's students use the graduation exhibition to claim that the university and Bergen Kunsthall are restricting freedom of expression. [...]
Alleging pre-emptive censorship, artist ‘hijacks’ website of Norwegian gallery showing his work
The Icelandic artist Odee is embroiled in a legal dispute with a fishing company for drawing attention to a high-profile [...]
events
News
Bergens Tidende critic gives full house to the master’s exhibition in Bergen Kunsthall
Regardless of what the facts are, and even if the QR code itself is uninteresting, [...]
Icelandic Art Student’s ‘Living’ QR Code Mural Debuts at Bergen Kunsthall After Free Expression Dispute
Bergen Kunsthall reinstates controversial MFA mural linking to a live digital artwork after institutional pushback [...]
Art students accuse the ‘art authorities’ of silencing and censorship.
Two master's students use the graduation exhibition to claim that the university and Bergen Kunsthall [...]
I think there is a very hypocritical view of censorship here
Odee Friðriksson, known by the stage name ODEE , says he will not be allowed [...]
Secret artwork “may contain violations of the law”: – The university is censoring me
The art student believes he is being excluded from the master's degree exhibition. His advisor [...]
He says he is censored. UiB denies it.
The city's most controversial artist of recent times was going to exhibit in Bergen for [...]
quote of the day:
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” – Evelyn Beatrice Hall