Underskog

Ragna Bley | SILENT ARREST
Exhibition opening:
Thursday 22 August, 18-20:00
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Text by Louise Rytter
Titled ‘SILENT ARREST’, Ragna Bley’s exhibition explores the silent forces that shape us, their ability to arrest our focus, and their influence on our sense of self. At a time when both human existence and nature demand our undivided attention, Bley breathes life into an imaginative cosmos of paintings and a bespoke skylight that illuminates the minimalist gallery space. Throughout the day, sunlight cracks through the colored glass and interplay with the abstract paintings evoking dynamic movements of whirling waves, drifting clouds and shifting tectonic plates. Elements pulse with life yet remain anchored in place. In that fluid moment, Bley captures the tension between chaos and order, imagination and reality, the natural and the artificial.
Intuitive and introspective, Bley’s artistic approach is informed by her personal experiences, interest in human psychology, the unpredictable forces of nature, and a commitment to experimentation with paint. Embracing spontaneity and scale, she pushes the boundaries of her medium to explore the possibilities of abstraction. Drawing inspiration from her affinity with the sea and science fiction literature, Bley’s paintings go beyond traditional forms, expressing conceptual ideas without relying on literal representation. The abstract figurations resonate with imagery reminiscent of NASA’s Blue Marble photographs, Ernst Haeckel’s marine life illustrations, and the dramatic landscapes and weather patterns of Scandinavia. Each painting presents itself as a solitary landmass or living organism, reflecting the rugged beauty of nature that has shaped Bley – from her childhood in the Stockholm Archipelago to her current life along Oslo’s coastline.
As we stand before Bley’s paintings, we are reminded of how art can bridge the gap between scientific discourse and public consciousness, fostering a deeper connection with the environment. Echoing the ideas of French philosopher Bruno Latour, Bley’s work resonates with his belief that art can heighten our understanding of ecological and technological complexities. In our Technosphere, dominated by digital networks, satellites, and drones that offer unprecedented visual control over the Earth, advancements in biology and artificial intelligence are redefining what it means to be human. Bley captures this dynamic through swirling brushstrokes and vibrant colours, emblematic of the relentless flow of information in a technologically driven world. The exhibition hereby serves as a reminder of the delicate balance that sustains life on Earth.
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Ragna Bley is an artist based in Oslo working with painting, sculpture, text, and performance. Her practice encompassing painting, sculptural, performance, and language-based works, Bley draws inspiration ranging from science fiction, and the natural world, to art history. Underpinning this eclecticism and the proclivity toward experimentation is a remarkable degree of technical skill, honed through her education at the Oslo Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal College of Art in London.
Bley (b. 1986, Uppsala, Sweden) has previously held exhibitions at Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo (2022); Malmö Konsthall (2020); Kunsthall Oslo (2017). Her works have been presented at Henie Onstad Art Center and Kistefos in Norway, and Moderna Museum, Stockholm. More recently, she has been included in group exhibitions at Buffalo AKG Art Museum, New York and Le Consortium, Dijon (2024).
Her work is included in the collections of The National Museum, The Astrup Fearnley Museum, Henie Onstad Art Center, and Kistefos in Norway; Moderna Museet and Malmö Konstmuseum in Sweden; Buffalo AKG Art Museum in USA; David Roberts Art Foundation in UK.
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Louise Rytter is a curator, author and communications strategist specialised in arts and culture. She is the director of Rytter & Denke, and was formerly assistant curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Program Manager at Google Arts & Culture. She holds a degree from Central Saint Martins, and is the author of ‘Louis Vuitton: Catwalk’ and ‘The World According to Lee McQueen’.