The first extensive survey of Nordic art during the transition from postmodernism to what might be called "the period of contemporary art".
The book revolves around three historical situations: The early 1990s, when the artists, critics and curators associated with the "new" art scenes began challenging the prevailing Nordic postmodernism. The late 1990s, when the nineties generation was controversially labeled "the Nordic Miracle." And the 2000s, when the Nordic art world experienced a turn to the right regarding cultural politics and a turn to the left within the art institution. Post-Nordic presents analyses of artworks, exhibitions, publications and institutions over a twenty-year period, creating a historical and political portrait of the forces that have shaped and continue to shape our understandings of art. Accessibly written by an author with first-hand knowledge of the period, the book lends prominence to the voices of the artists and critics who were active at the time. Covered themes include new media, postnationalism, feminism, identity politics, social art, globalisation and activism.
"[Ekeberg's] approach results in an unusually nuanced, wide-ranging and well-argued overview of the changes in the Nordic art world from the 1970s to the present, including general political and ideological trends as well as local circumstances and the activities of individuals. The comprehensive scope of this well-written and easily read book is an impressive achievement."
Tania Ørum, Kunstkritikk, Nordic Art Review
Jonas Ekeberg (born 1967) is a critic and curator based in Oslo. Trained as an artist, he has held central roles in Norwegian and Nordic art since the early 1990s and serves as Senior Adviser of Visual Arts at Arts and Culture Norway. Between 2009 and 2019, he was Editor-in-Chief of the online journal Kunstkritikk – Nordic Art Review. He has served as Director of Preus Museum in Horten (Norway's national museum for photography) and was Founding Director of Kunsthall Oslo. In 2000, he was Chief Curator for the second iteration of Momentum – Nordic Biennial of Contemporary Art.
Translated from the Norwegian by René Lauritsen (original title: Postnordisk – Den Nordiske kunstscenens vekst og fall 1976-2016, Torpedo Press, 2019).
