DOWN UNDER UP NORTH

During an 18-month period, from 2008 to 2009, art photographers Bente Geving and Per Berntsen alternated on staying one month each at the Sydvaranger Mine in Kirkenes. Their goal was to produce an art project each, documenting the reopening of the mine. Their photographs can be seen as both a documentation of an industrial process, and as a reflection on the ongoing conflict between industrial development versus preservation of natural areas. 

Bente Geving was born in 1952 in Kirkenes, and several of her projects have centered on her Sámi background. Geving's work is a part of the collections of The Art Museum of Northern Norway, The Sámi Collections in Karasjok, Preus Museum, Sogn og Fjordane Art Museum, the Berlinische Galerie in Berlin, amongst others.

Per Berntsen was born in 1953 in Modum, and is known for depicting historic industrial landscapes in his photographs. Berntsen's work is a part of the collections of The National Museum in Oslo, Preus Museum, Bergen Art Museum, The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge's Art Foundation, amongst others.