Stingene det tar / Stitched time
In the ongoing project Stingene det tar / Stitched time, I am interested in the use of stitches (in Norwegian translates to sting) as a way to translate, face and calm the constant noise rumbling my mind. A noice coming from everyday life; worries and challenges. Working with my hands, needle and thread moves and translates these emotions into a language of lines. A process that often helps me understand.
Concept
I translate the chaos of thoughts, worry, sadness and sometimes anger and despair into lines made by thin silk threads. I work when the feeling arises, in my «diary», which also consists of single papers I have prepared with dyes or bleached. I work until the sense of chaos is released and my thoughts somewhat sorted. I have titled the diary project “Sting”
Since 2021 I have been exploring the same «personal line language» enlarged and expressed on a large textile, collaged of recycled garments patches and dyed with roots and iron. Gradually I fill the surface with stitches. Long or tiny, hard or loose. And knots. Many knots. The process helps me to handle, to understand and to accept. If you want to hear more, you can find a text attached as a PDF (in Norwegian): Stingene det tar
The use of thread to explore something personal is not new in my practice. From 2009–2011, I knotted knots every day as a way to investigate physical pain. I used the same black silk thread. It resulted in the project “65 299 Knots – A pain registry” and 92 framed “knots on week plan-drawings”. In Desconocida Unknown Ukjent, thousands of people use needle, silk thread and stitches to protest and memorize victims of femicides globally.
The video Sting is from 2017, made in collaboration with Harald Paalgard for an exhibition in the Nordic House in Reykjavik, Island
Deconocida unknown ukjent
Sting evolved as a personal project from a project that started in 2006 in Mexico. In the initial project, Deconocida unknown ukjent, people stitch name tags to protest and remember the victims of Femicide.
65 299 Knots – A pain registry
I use the same silk thread in Sting as I used in 65 299 knots. Another project starting from a personal need. Here I was exploring physical pain through knotting knots.