Me Time

solo exhibition & book launch, Studio K POP UP, Stavanger, Norway, 2024

In the exhibition Me Time Bjelland explores the interconnected aspects of work, economic freedom, and social hierarchy. It is
the result of an ongoing investigation into the in-house division of domestic labour in relation to individual needs, societal convention, and power structures within a household. The exhibition is held in the space of a former brewery – RECEPTION, FLASKEROM, LAGER and MATROM.

In RECEPTION Katharina Bjelland presents her new book Me Time. The book visualises Bjelland's online performances accomplished in a fitness tracking app called Strava. The app utilises GPS technology to track and record workouts and generates visual maps for each activity. The maps are shareable with friends and followers who can reply with "kudos" to express support and recognition. Embraced by the fitness community to track leisure activities, Bielland utilises the fitness tracking app to document domestic labour. Her performances resulted in maps that visualise movements during house- and care work within the artist's home, fully embracing the spirit of Strava: "Record. Sweat. Share. Kudos". The maps are paired with texts composed by Bjelland, integrating fragments from user manuals, household management and parenting guides, alongside personal observations. An attempt to make invisible work visible.
The individual book pages are displayed on clipboards leaning on one long picture ledge.

In FLASKEROM the screenprint tiptych ēsoAp – Resurrection and the video ēsoAp – Refill are shown. Bjelland uses the hand soap dispenser as a symbol for our consumer society where through clever marketing and branding we long for products we didn’t know we needed. Liquid hand soap has been a trend throughout the last 30 years with an increasing number of luxury liquid soap providers. High-end liquid soap can often be found in the corner alongside scented candles and reed diffuser sticks. What happened to the good old soap bar?

In LAGER Bjelland debuts her new series of sculptures Scrubbed up well inspired by handmade floor cleaning mops. During her stay in China Bjelland developed an interest in mops that were often left outside people's homes to dry and were therefore on view for everyone walking by. Bjelland was fascinated by the simplicity of tying old rags to a stick to make one's own cleaning equipment and how the mops are part of the streetscape in some neighbourhoods. For her sculptures Bjelland chose fabrics of designer clothing as rags. Each mop sculpture is accompanied by a work ID card displayed in batch holders with pull out string. The work passes show information about each rag’s previous life, showing brand names and details about each garment.

In MATROM Mutti takes center stage. Mutti is German for mom. The enlarged food can, Übermutter is a symbol for the gigantic expectations and projections from and into motherhood. What’s for dinner, Mutti?

19/04/24 One night only

Photos. Helle Navratil