OPEN CALL

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES

Public Art Norway invites artists to register their interest in creating a large-scale, prominent artwork to be located at Campus Ås, a major academic centre in Norway.

Deadline: 14 November 2016 – Artists of all nationalities may apply.

The artwork will be located at the centre of Clock Axis South (a new landscape feature in the campus). Artists should register their interest by submitting a document in the form specified below. The aim of the pre-qualification round is to shortlist three to five artists, who will then participate in a closed competition.

ABOUT CAMPUS ÅS AND THE NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES

Campus Ås houses Norway’s largest interdisciplinary academic environment in the life sciences. The campus includes park- and farmland, as well as many historical and more modern buildings. The largest institution on the campus is the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). Public Art Norway intends that the outdoor artworks will reflect the whole range of activities conducted at Campus Ås.

The largest construction project at the campus is the new Veterinary Building, scheduled to be completed in 2019. This facility will house both the Norwegian Veterinary Institute and the university’s veterinary teaching facilities. Further artworks, to be located indoors, will have more obvious connections to the veterinary sciences.

The new buildings at Campus Ås have been designed by two architectural practices, Henning Larsen Architects A/S and ØKAW AS Arkitekter, both of whom have collaborated with landscape architects LINK Landskap on the landscaping of the area.

Approximately NOK 2.5 million (USD 312,000) is available to fund this artwork.

ABOUT THE ART PROJECT FOR CLOCK AXIS SOUTH

The Clock Axis is a new feature of the landscape at Campus Ås. The southern part of the axis (Clock Axis South) is intended to function as a flexible outdoor area that is ideal for a wide range of activities, including large formal events and informal gatherings. The artwork for this area should be a prominent visual element of the landscape and communicate the importance of art at Campus Ås.

The art committee seeks an artist with an understanding of artworks in a busy outdoor space.

The work will be intended to be permanent, and as such must be made from durable materials. It should also withstand being touched and should possibly be capable of being used in some fashion by persons who frequent the area. It is important that the artwork does not obstruct the intended use of the area. Artists should also consider factors such as  patination and weathering over time and must ensure that the artwork will not damage the surrounding environment.

The winning artist will be expected to collaborate closely with the architects and landscape architects. Please note that the winning artist will be required to make a number of trips to Oslo and Ås in order to plan and execute the commission.

ABOUT THE OUTDOOR ARTWORKS

This artwork will be one of several new outdoor artworks, which will establish a new walking route through the university area. The art plan envisions an artwork at Ås Farm (NMBU’s Animal Production Experimental Centre) at one end of the route, several artworks in Nordskogen Arboretum that will exist in harmony with the natural environment, an artwork outside the Veterinary Building and, finally, this prominent large-scale artwork in Clock Axis South, to mark the point where the walking route leaves the axis to explore older artworks in the university area. The aim is for the route to link both new and existing artworks and new and existing buildings.

The parkland and arboretum at Campus Ås are much-loved areas that are used daily by students, employees and the local population.

Accordingly the outdoor artworks will be ensured a wide audience. Users of the area should be able to find meaning in the ability to experience contemporary art while moving between old and new buildings in a park landscape that is itself a blend of old and new.

The art plan incorporates an express ambition for the new art at Campus Ås to be highly visible and to mark its presence through content, design, duration or sheer volume. The criteria set forth in the art plan include the following:

• the art should be located in places used by students and staff for spending time, meeting or passing by, in areas that are highly accessible to the general public;
• the art should add new visual motifs to the university area, or new combinations with established visual motifs, that differ from those already incorporated in the existing veterinary teaching facilities or existing artworks; and the art should reflect its own time and add a new dimension to the art- historical tradition already begun in the university area.

CONDITIONS AND SUBMISSION MATERIALS

For the pre-qualification round, the art committee wishes to consider reasoned expressions of interest in developing a concept for a large- scale, prominent outdoor artwork. Please do not submit specific proposals or sketches, as these are not wanted in this round.

Interested artists should send a single PDF file containing the following information:

• a brief statement explaining their interest in the project and their understanding of the commission;
• documentation of earlier works and relevant projects; and
• a CV, including contact

The name of the artist/group of artists should appear in the file name: first-name_surname.pdf.

The PDF must be in A4 format and must not exceed 10 pages in length. The file size of the PDF must not exceed 5 MB.

After reviewing the submitted materials, the art committee will invite three to five applicants to participate in a closed competition, which will include interviews and presentations. Artists who participate in the closed competition will receive a fee.

The art committee may invite artists who have not responded to this advertisement to submit applications. All artists who apply may also be considered for other art projects at Campus Ås.

DEADLINE

All entries materials must be received on or before 14 November 2016 13:00 hrs Norwegian time (CET).

Email your PDF file with the subject line “Campus Ås” to campusaas@gmail.com.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

A limited number of artists will participate in the closed competition during spring 2017. Each of these artists will receive a fee and will be invited to attend a site inspection. The winning artist will undertake concept development and practical execution according to a separately agreed schedule commencing no earlier than autumn 2017. The work must be installed during the first six months of 2019. The Clock Axis and the Veterinary Building will open in August 2019.

Materials and models submitted by artists participating in the closed competition will be exhibited at Campus Ås in connection with the jury’s evaluation.

CONTACT

Please direct any questions about the project to campusaas@gmail.com. Please note that it may take some time to respond to your question.

The art consultants/art project managers for Campus Ås are Trond Hugo Haugen and Robert Johansson.

LINKS

• For further information, please see the project website
• Complete version of the Art Plan for Campus Ås (in Norwegian only)
• An abridged version of the Art Plan in English