Every Body Counts

Since the start in 2003, one of Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium’s express goals was to reach out to everybody, to include a diverse audience. Every Body Counts took this to its logical conclusion.

The title of the exhibition, “Every Body Counts”, highlights two important themes: The human body in art, and the question of who art is for. The human body has been one of the important and radical themes of art. It exposes that which is taboo, undermines our pride and uncovers abuse of power and exploitation. The other theme of this years exhibition is the question of who art speaks to. VKL believes that everyone is capable of appreciating and of being touched by art, and that there is no reason for art to be the exclusive realm of artists and art experts.

Excerpt from the catalog text of Göran Green, curator:

"This year´s exhibition includes 77 works by 53 international and Nordic artists, who each in their own ways interpret and raise questions about man, the body and our current state. But the body is reference point. At a fundamental level it is essential to our existence – both as a tool and as a jail. We are imprisoned in our bodies. Our bodies live their own lives, and are subject to external forces. We are constantly having to adopt to a variety of changes and threats: ageing, illness and the knowledge that our bodies will die, and that we will die with them. The body is also somewhere we can project our ideals and longing for beauty, as well as our fears. Love, life and death are physical phenomena." (p. 26-27)

Participating artists

• Anders A
• Virginie Barré
• Bjørn Bjarre
• Eivind Blanker
• Jes Brinch
• Jemima Brown
• Jake & Dinos Chapman
• Lena Cronqvist
• Dearraindrop
• Nathalie Djurberg
• A K Dolven
• Nicole Eisenman
• Peter Ern
• Linn Fernström
• Fine Art Union
• Jiri Geller
• Patrick Goddard
• Ilkka Halso
• Kati Heck
• Emil Holmer
• Leif Holmstrand
• Jani Hänninen
• Peter Johansson & Barbro Westling
• Aleksandra Kucharska
• Mikael Kvium
• Sigalit Landau
• Christian Lemmerz
• Eva Marklund
• Bjarne Melgaard
• Anna Nordenskiöld
• Kjell Erik Killi Olsen
• Marika Orenius
• Arif Ozakca
• Erik Parker
• Ulf Rahmberg
• Heli Rekula
• Jyrki Riekki
• Hanneline Røgeberg
• Tom Sandberg
• Andres Serrano
• Roman Signer
• Kim Simonsson
• Thaddeus Strode
• Charlotte Thiis-Evensen
• Wolfgang Tillmans
• Ryan Trecartin & Lizzy Fitch
• Endre Tveitan
• Luis Vidal
• Kelley Walker
• Magnus Wallin
• Ryszars Warsinski
• Per Wizén