the project

The Host Rock and The Deep Time is an exhibition that looks at abandoned mines as speculation sites and unfolds in three settings: a soundwalk, a listening pavilion, and an interactive installation. In geology, ‘host rock’ refers to the rock surrounding the minerals that are considered valuable in our society, such as copper, iron, and gold, among others. ‘Deep time’ is a concept that refers to events that occurred billions of years ago, or are predicted to happen billions of years from now. In The Host Rock and The Deep Time, the artists approach these concepts as two characters in a story, opening up the possibility of generating a speculative narrative that considers mining and extractive practices from a non-human perspective.

All the elements composing the exhibition are informed by a field research carried out at deactivated mining sites in the regions of Rorøs, Gudbrandsdalen, and Otta. To approach the sites, the artists developed collaborative methodologies inspired by visualization techniques, tactile observations, creative writing, deep listening, and data mining. These methodologies unfolded a series of gestures the trio has used to formulate diverse ways of recognizing, being with and talking about the sites.

Sound is a transversal medium displayed in the exhibition. In the artists’ view, listening to a site is a way of being with the world and being deeply intertwined with it, as a way to actively listen to be able to hear sounds that have existed for billions of years. Their approach to listening is related to the understanding that site, sight, and sound are enmeshed, and that by engaging in deep listening all senses come together to expand our perception of the world, ultimately allowing us to hear the multiplicity of languages and accents, coming from other than human agencies.

The development of this exhibition corresponds to a collaborative body of work by Ana Brotas, Karina Sletten and Viviana Cárdenas that started in 2022 at the Sao Domingos Mine in Portugal.

In addition to the exhibition, the artists will lead a writing workshop focused on generating speculative and fictional texts in relation to the topics of extractivism, mining, and the concept of landscape with the aim of exchanging and discussing ideas about possible futures. Interested participants can join the workshop by applying to the open call, there are eight spots available. The workshop will take place at Harpefoss Kunstarena from the 10th to the 12th of November.

The exhibiton is open Saturdays and Sundays from 28. October to 26. November, 12pm – 4 pm.

For visiting, guiding or other requests outside opening hours, please contact mobile +47 41107932 or mail: kontakt@harpefosshotell.no