Unge Kunsteres Samfund (Young Artists' Society) — Design & Communication — 👩🎨
UKS (Unge Kunstneres Samfund / Young Artists’ Society) is an Oslo-based institution for contemporary art and a Norwegian membership organization. Founded by artists for artists in 1921 — partly as social club and partly as an artistic political union. UKS has since established itself as one of Norway’s core experimental venues for the arts; convening, exhibiting, and supporting critical voices of contemporary artists, with the objective of having both an artistic and political impact within and beyond its region.
I would go so far to say that working at UKS (Unge Kunstneres Samfund / Young Artists’ Society) is one of the greatest privileges of my life. I was offered a position as Communications Officer before I graduated from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and was really unsure of how I would manage to penetrate the intricate dealings of the Oslo contemporary art scene. Coincidentally, it turned out to be the most welcoming group of people I've encountered.
During my years at UKS I was fortunate enough to work with two directors, Johanne Nordby Wernø and Rhea Dall, two absolutely astounding forces of nature, both completely trusting my abilities and wants — and allowing me to play with my interests in both journalism and design. The other parts of the team (Maria Horvei, Roderick Hietbrinck, Kaja Breckan, Ruben Steinum are just some of the brilliant minds) made a lasting impression.
There is a saying at UKS, one every former and present staff member as well as members know: UKS er en følelse (“UKS is a feeling”). And it's so true. It's a rather undefinable feeling of community and freedom intertwined. UKS lies under the protective wing of Norske Billedkunstnere, and can in that way be seen as a soft fork of a protective parent, allowing for experimentation and hybrid practice.
Norwegian info:
Arbeidet i UKS inkluderte blant annet politisk kommunikasjonsarbeid med statsbudsjettet; arbeid med UKS’ reisestipendutstilling Roaming og planlegging og avvikling av seminaret Boms eller protagonist? Kunstnerens rolle i fremtidens by med Ingrid Lønningdal og Ida Madsen. Utformet også årsrapporten for 2015 og trykket den i fluoriserende rosa RISO på risoprintverkstedet Apollo Press.
Som in-house grafisk designer laget jeg også alt av øvrig mindre designmateriell i perioden og fikk lekt meg med profilen til Eriksen & Brown, samt arbeidet tett med Studio Manuel Raeder da UKS ble redesignet i 2017—2018. For øvrig jobbet jeg blant annet med følgende utstillinger «Myk harnisk» av Constance Tenvik, «New Picture — The Work of Bea Feitler», «Concorde» av Georgia Gardner Gray, i tillegg til en omfattende rekke fagpolitiske og ikke-fagpolitiske arrangementer (deriblant såkale Minibars), performancer, konserter og et knippe underfundige, nydelige fester (gjerne med et stort utvalg kostymer, samt karaoke).
UKS har også et stort, beundringsverdig arkiv som endelig ble samlet og utstilt i 2018. Jeg gleder meg stort til nyåpningen av UKS i Keysers gate 1 i Oslo.