We were recently introduced to Norwegian and Oslo-based artist Olve Sande and his striking minimalist works exhibited at Galerie Antoine Levi in Paris, titled Suites. So let’s explore these pieces a little more.

Suites—considered as consecutive units or pieces following a specific order and harmony—are like multiple rooms opening up, following each other continuously. Suites both suggest and direct progression. Olve Sande’s works, then, follow this compositional logic, appearing as unified objects or extracts of a larger composition, which rather than functioning as fixed referents, invite the viewer to follow through.

On a very practical basis, this manifests directly in the formatting of the works, as each piece is based on measurements from specific windows. The measurements were sourced from the architectural surroundings of Jørn Sværen, a Norwegian poet Sande has collaborated with for the exhibition.

The unpainted plasterboards are put into a direct relationship with paint-absorbent felt, entering the two into a mutual relationship characterised by the potential of spills. This becomes a clearly felt tension between the repellant and the absorbent; a tension that is highly emblematic of the spatial parameters Sande delineates in his practice. Each space becomes a space of dialogue between the materials and structures that form its existence, and by extension, inform our experiences within their confines.

Photography by Claire Dorn.