Arrangement av RAM galleri“A Chain in Motion” is a project by artists Onė Maldonytė, Elisa Halvorsen and Alejandra Aguilar. The concept of memory has been a constant interest in their individual practices and has now brought them to work collectively.
The title “A Chain in Motion” refers both to the ways in which memories are transformed into personal and collective narratives, and the processes behind remembering and forgetting. The title also refers to the way the project took place.
The artists created a three-step system which enabled them to develop an ever-growing installation. They worked on the system during their one-month residency at Atelier Austmarka, which started and has evolved as follows:
1) Each artist presented one artwork as a starting point based on their own idea of Memory. The three artworks had different motifs, concepts, shapes, and materiality, which allowed a fluid exchange of ideas.
2) The second stage in the process consisted on creating responses to each of the first artworks. It was determined that One would create an artwork as a response to Elisa´s artwork; Elisa would create an artwork as a response to Alejandra´s artwork; and Alejandra would create an artwork as a response to One´s artwork.
3) The third stage consisted in presenting the responses to each other and repeat the chain, but now responding to the second artworks and changing the order of the chain. During the residency the artists repeated the chain four times. Even though the core of their practices revolves around the concept of Memory, the artworks produced so far were greatly inspired by their surroundings, the narratives and history of Finnskogen and Austmarka, as well as a constant dialogue between their chosen mediums: photography, drawing, and ceramic.
About the artists
Alejandra Aguilar Caballero
(b. 1989, Mexico City) is a printmaker and visual artist based in Norway. She holds an MFA from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and a BFA from UNAM, Mexico. Her work explores memory through material and conceptual art. She has exhibited widely in Norway and internationally, with upcoming shows at Østfold Kunstsenter. She has received awards such as the Printmaking Today Student Prize (2021) and various Norwegian art stipends.
Onė Austėja Maldonytė
(b. 1995, Kaunas, Lithuania) is a multidisciplinary artist working in ceramics, installation, and drawing. Based in Oslo, she holds an MFA from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and a BFA from the Vilnius Academy of Arts. Her work explores themes of memory and materiality, with recent exhibitions in Norway and Lithuania. She has received grants from Norwegian arts institutions and will undertake a residency at Atelier Austmarka in 2024.
Elisa Halvorsen Castillo
(b. 1990, Santiago de Chile) is an artist and designer focused on photography, printmaking, and installation. She holds an MFA from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and a degree in Industrial Design from UTEM, Chile. Her work explores technology and memory, with exhibitions in Norway and Chile. She has received support from Kulturdirektoratet and Norske Grafikeres for her artistic projects.