Born 1958, Leirvik, Norway. Lives and work in Oslo, Norway.

As a student of Norwegian Academy of Fine Arts, Bergen/Oslo 1981-85, Nils Olav attended the Experimental class. Until 1996 he worked with installations comprising sculptural objects, moving objects, video projection and sound. From 1996 onwards, the camera entered the picture as a new tool, radically changing the point of view and the format and his production. But the keynote is in many ways unchanged.

The transition to photography implied a change from the staging and large physical objects to a downscaled world of models in small-scale, where direction takes place on a “table” as if in a miniature movie studio. Scale he creates scenes is about 1:90, before he illuminates and photograph the scene. On one hand the pictures have a concrete theme, characterized by precision in a minimalist composition and structure. On the other hand this simplicity changes into a destabilizing atmosphere, infinite and defying definition in time and space. We are placed in a world that is completely constructed and artificial, but at the same time it conjures up a feeling of something well known and recognizable.

We are guided onto unsafe ground through NOB`s multi-linked mediating of an original and true reality. His tableaux can be viewed as a critical and fresh visualization of the hyper-mediated associations, which is filtered through in our time.

[–Toril Smit, Director Vigeland Museum, Oslo]

Nils Olav Bøe is a recognized artist, with exhibitions including Berlin, London, New York, Houston and Oslo. He is among other purchased by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo. In addition to other national and international collectors.

www.omniweb.no/nob/