The exhibition opens Thursday the 21st of May, from 6 - 8 pm.

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There is a widespread perception that the United States is a politically polarized country where democracy and the rule of law are under increasing pressure. The U.S. has become more unpredictable within the international community and is no longer the reliable ally Norway and many other countries had known since the late 1940s. Most people observing the U.S. from Norway see a superpower that is far more self-centered and unpredictable than we have been accustomed to. The United States still exerts significant influence over Norway. It is therefore important to understand both the country’s history and its current situation.

In his latest project, Falling Off A Horse Slowly, Christian Tunge has observed that the United States is often better understood as a continent rather than as a single country. Throughout its modern history, the U.S. has been a dynamic melting pot. Behind the institutions, symbols, and flag, there are still 50 states and hundreds of thousands of local communities with very different realities. The United States is a colorful mosaic rather than a black-and-white image. Today’s America appears fragmented, something that is also reflected in the exhibition. However, the pieces of a mosaic cannot be understood in isolation: they come alive when assembled. In a similar way, Tunge combines photographs that at first glance seem unrelated and allows them to form new entities.

There can never be a neutral perspective on the United States. Tunge’s new constellations, and the way we perceive them, may both simplify and distort reality, while at the same time opening a space for reflection and new perspectives. Over the past seven years, Tunge has photographed an America undergoing rapid change. In many cases, the spaces free from politics, within culture, sports, and local communities more broadly, have been significantly reduced. As a result, these meeting places have become even more important, a theme explored in several of the works.

In one of the images, a young woman sits with two children on her lap, encapsulated by a rough print that resembles politicians. For a historian, this immediately sparks interest and evokes thoughts about the contrasts between people’s lives in the past and the present. In the work one can also glimpse America’s greatness and pride, but in other images, the major challenges facing the country become equally apparent.

We live in a time when our very perception of reality is under pressure. The distance between politicians’ narratives and people’s lived experiences is growing. In such a context, photography, art, and human connection can help establish a common ground of shared perspectives.

— Hans Olav Lahlum

The exhibition is supported by Norsk Fotografisk Fond og Billedkunstnernes Vederlagsfond.