Since the 1990s, acclaimed Norwegian and London-based artist AK Dolven has produced a substantial body of work that explores the relationship between individuals and the perception of their environment, the connections that bind inner and outer realities. Using a diverse range of media, she combines seemingly simple, almost minimalistic elements to create complex responses to a particular locale – especially the frozen landscapes of the Arctic Circle – while maintaining a universal voice that resonates far beyond the specifics of the place. Frequently immersive in nature, her works investigate but also induce feelings of discomfort and disorientation in the eye, body and mind of the viewer, a sense of forever being at odds with one’s surroundings. Coinciding with a solo exhibition at the Ikon Gallery, this book presents the past decade of the artist’s practice. In five themed chapters, each artwork is shown in a series of large-scale installation shots and details that replicate the spatial and physical impact of the piece itself. Introductory texts to each chapter by five internationally renowned writers and thinkers illuminate various aspects of the artist’s work, addressing, among other things, its political significance, emotional intensity and philosophical depth. An introduction by volume editor Gaby Hartel considers the importance of AK Dolven’s sketchbooks to the genesis of her work, with a 24-page insert reproducing some of these sketchbooks in facsimile form. A second bound-in insert at the back of the book presents the artist’s own notes on the works, with supporting source material.
