INTRODUCING...NUART RAD (RIVER ARTS DISTRICT)
A new, three-year public art project will see Nuart curate a series of artworks along the length of the Akerselva river. Spanish artist Isaac Cordal was first out of the traps, putting up a total of 21 miniature sculptures from Frysja in the north to Grønland in the south in July 2017.
The ambitious project will see the area adjacent to the river, which cuts through the centre of the city, become a venue for the world's leading street artists. The Akerselva has historically been viewed as something of a socio-economic and racial dividing line between east and west - a line we're interested in exploring.
This project aims to celebrate the diversity of the four neighborhoods through which the river flows - Nordre Aker, Sagene, Grünerløkka and Gamle Oslo – and invite the local community to rediscover the area through the creation of an ‘art trail’ that traverses boundaries, both real and imagined.
Nuart RAD forms the core of Oslo Municipality's five-year action plan for street art, which promotes graffiti and street art as part of contemporary art in public spaces.
After the Art Order was changed in 2013, 0.5 percent of Oslo's total investment budget is now allocated for public art. "A larger proportion of funds are used for art in the city's many outdoor spaces, for temporary events and for projects that are developed over a longer period of time in line with the city itself," says Lise Mjøs, Department of Arts in Oslo Municipality. “The collaboration with Nuart is a project we have high expectations for. We hope that the art projects engage and contribute positively to better urban environments”.
Nuart RAD will be ‘officially’ launched with a conference and series of events, film screenings and workshops this fall (exact date TBC).
For more information, please contact Nuart RAD Project Manager Liz Ramsey (E: liz@nuartfestival.no; M: +47 467 64 567)
Photos by Isaac Cordal and Trym Schade Warloe
