EBBE ARNEBERG
Hierarchy
2 May - 23 June 2024
Tin is one of the earliest metals used by humans, with the first traces of tin usage dating back almost 6000 years. In Norway, the history of tin stretches back around 3000 years. In recent times, tin has been used in toys, tableware, and decorative objects, often associated with wall-hung tin plates in pine-panelled basements, reproduced medieval jewelry, trophies, and brooches. The material is also an essential component in modern industry, used in alloys and electronics. Despite its historical and practical significance, it could be argued that tin does not command the highest respect among the materials that surround us.
With an intuitive approach, Arneberg, using 120 kilograms of recycled tin along with two pots and a sandbox, has attempted to elevate and highlight the properties and value of the material, thereby challenging our perception of it.
The history of the works does not begin here. They are all made from recycled barrels, trophies, vases, candlesticks, and pitchers that have been melted down and transformed into something new. The sand-cast reliefs bear marks from their previous lives, and the lines in the works can be interpreted as timelines that are both broken, extended, and find new paths. Through this, Arneberg aims to narrate a story about the material’s history and its hierarchical placement in contemporary society.
Ebbe Arneberg primarily works with sculptural ceramics. The expression is often tight and symmetrical with elements of organic inspiration, drawing from symmetry and interaction found in nature and among people. Arneberg has exhibited at Ram Gallery in Oslo (2018 and 2022), the Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts exhibition in Skien (2021), and at Kunstrommet, Skog in 2023. Arneberg completed a Master’s degree in material-based art at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts in 2022, and has received the Norwegian Government Grant for Artists for 2023 and 2024.
The exhibition receives support from the Norwegian Arts Council.