Owls fly at dusk - the Art Nouveau Centre at Twenty

As a curator, Bjørgan is known for atmospheric exhibitions with surprising twists. In addition to furniture, books, ceramics, textiles, drawings, and works in glass and metal, Owls Fly at Dusk presents film material and music from around 1900. True to the ideals of Art Nouveau, the exhibition is conceived as a holistic installation with an emphasis on sensory and aesthetic experience.

One of the most prominent characteristics of Art Nouveau is its deep affinity with nature. Many artists and architects of the period used natural motifs as a starting point for works that seek to capture the mystical and the supernatural. It was an approach that encapsulated a fascination for the unknown. Shared by Bjørgan, that same fascination finds clear expression in the exhibition. Rather than select the most decorative and appealing works that many associate with Art Nouveau, Bjørgan shows a preference for the subtle, the sombre, and the more obscure – aspects that are often overlooked and under-communicated.

Heidi Bjørgan (b.1970) has an MA in ceramic art from the Bergen Academy of Art and Design, where she also studied Creative Curatorial Practice. Through her work as an artist and curator, she has helped to revitalise the discourse around crafts in Norway. She was one of the people behind the gallery and project space Temp in Bergen (2000–2002). Her credits as a curator include exhibitions at Rogaland kunstsenter, Galleri F15, Hordaland kunstsenter, and Galleri Format. Among the exhibitions she has curated for KODE in Bergen are the international Thing Tang Trash and Signert Inger Waage. As co-curator she has contributed to Beyond G(l)aze, an extensive survey of Norwegian and Chinese crafts, and KREFTER – Dyrdal Kvasbø Tingleff.

A virtual tour of the exhibition is available here.