Reception Area

Freestanding wall in the Reception area. Budget: 800 000 NOK

The Reception area on the ground floor of T9 includes a 6 x 6 meter concrete wall facing east. The Art Committee would like this wall to be utilised for a site-specific wall-based work of art.

The Reception area is the most accessible of the building, and it would be natural to equip this space with a distinctive work of art that compliments the commissioned artwork outside. The Art Committee have decided to focus on this wall because the space itself fulfils many other functions simultaneously including arrivals, information, and waiting area. 

The architects have conceived of the space as a continuation of the square outside by using the same surface material. This is also an important consideration for Do Ho Suh’s project on the square outside, and the Art Committee have opted to see the floor as a subtle continuation of Grass Roots Square, thus leaving it free from any other art projects.

It is important to take into account the relationship between the work of art in the Reception area and Grass Roots Square . The two projects will need to interact in an interesting way, without being too obvious - the use of a similar motif, for example, might not work. The same applies to the relationship between the Reception project and the other in the Press Room. As they are both wall-based commissions, there would need to be a distinct difference between the visual elements used.

The Art Committee has not made any decisions relating to the medium or type of materials employed in the art project as this is up to the artist. Nevertheless, we are sceptical towards the use of moving images, as the Reception area will already contain a lot of activity and information.

Completing of the project

The project is advertised internationally as an open call for a prequalification. The deadline is 25 June 2010. Due to the demanding nature of the project, the Art Committee reserves the right to invite artists who have not participated in the prequalification stage. The selected artists’ proposals for the indoor projects will be assessed in relation to each other and in relation to Do Ho Suh’s project so as to achieve an aesthetic and representative balance that will function well as a whole. 

Based on the submitted proposals and the invitation of any other suitable candidates, we are aiming to commission the project directly. A possible alternative would be to invite artists to a closed concept competition with two or three participants, if this is deemed a more suitable course of action.