«KRÆSJ 1976-2026» is a solo exhibition by Christian Blandhoel, marking 50 years of life and 30 years of artistry. The exhibition spans action figures, plush bears, music, noise-instruments, paintings, drawings, dioramas and a music cassette studio.
October 16th – November 8th
Open Thursday – Sunday 14:00-18:00
«69» – the gallery in the backyard in Toftes gate 69
Blandhoel is a disabled or differently abled artist, who has been creating art in spite of his condition. The isolation, outsider view, existential dread, alienation and seeking of materialistic familiarity is reflected in his art, the subjects and perspectives.
This exhibition is a collision of art and creative survival techniques using comfort objects as artistic expression seen from a 1980s childhood drenched in pop culture, translated into a need for manifesting and worldbuilding. The works span the entirety of his artistry with a consistent underlying theme.
Kræsj was the name uncle Knut (RIP) gave Blandhoel as a child, due to his toy car smashing. An early, proto-artistic expression: tenderizing and transforming toy cars with hammers, rocks, and painted into world-weary visions of reality inspired by the “lived-in world” of George Lucas’ Star Wars. The exhibition is paired with KRÆSJ FANZINE, a 159-page deep dive into and collection of proto-artistic expressions.
The exhibition is curated by Nora Stangebye and Luca Sørheim.
«KRÆSJ 1976-2026» is supported by BKV and Kulturrådet. 69 Oslo is supported by Kulturrådet and Oslo Kommune.
Christian Blandhoel (b. 1976) is a visual artist and noise musician, grown up in 1405 Langhus Akershus, Norway with an artistic practice in Oslo and educated at Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo.
Blandhoel is educated as a painter but works interdisciplinary with techniques such as drawing, instrument building, sculpture, musical feedback, modifying found objects, sound, noise music, electronics, animation, film, installation, artist-archive, noise library, performance, costume, photo, textile and painting.
He is working with themes such as outsider-ism, isolation health, esthetics and existential perspectives, morality, psychology, democratizing art through interactivity and audience participatory generative art projects.
Blandhoel has exhibited at Nasjonalmuseet, Høstutstillingen, UKS, Akershus Kunstsenter, Bomuldsfabrikken, Skåne Konstforening and several art and folk museums as a part of Skakke Folkedrakter by Nasjonalmuseet.
https://caserecordsofficial.bandcamp.com/album/this-world-works-better-if-you-break-it
https://myfirstrecordlabel.bandcamp.com/
http://www.blandhoel.com
