Lesia Vasylchenko and Eirik Zeiner-Henriksen in conversation – listen to Billedkunst LIVE from Planetarium

Continuing the conversation from Billedkunst no. 1 2023, artist Lesia Vasylchenko met writer and art historian Eirik Zeiner-Henriksen at Vitensenteret’s Planetarium Saturday, 25 May.

Photo: Tine Semb.

Lesia Vasylchenko presented her research on the entanglements between human versus technological and geological timescales and on how to think time from a more-than-human perspective — despite it being commercialized and weaponized. Vasylchenko and Zeiner-Henriksen also touched upon the circulation and use of data being produced by planetary observation technologies, artificial intelligence, and the photographic image.

– What if we could learn something from the photography as a medium today? Could perhaps the uniqueness of art be a tool against the passiveness and numbness of watching the worst things ever by making the viewer ‘sense’ differently, by triggering the imagination, memory, storytelling — as a ‘third thing’, happening in your head while watching it?

Vasylchenko also talked about how the technological glitches sometimes provide more information than the actual viewing image, as when a Russian shield disturbed the radar signals she was studying. Simultaneously, the guest could experience excerpts from Lesia’s most recent work Chronosphere (2024); 360° inside of the Planetarium.

Fun facts: Due to its shape, we were unable to receive sufficient phone signals inside the globe. Protected, we could enjoy this artist conversation and screening for 70 minutes. Thank you all for making this unique event!

Lesia Vasylchenko (born in 1990 in Kyiv, Ukraine based in Oslo) works across a range of media including video, photography and installation. In her research-based practice Vasylchenko is looking into encounters between visual cultures, media technologies and politics of time. She is a co-curator of the artist-run gallery space Podium and a founder of STRUKTURA. Time, a cross-disciplinary initiative for research and practice within the framework of visual arts, media archaeology, literature, and philosophy. She holds a degree in Journalism from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Fine Arts from Oslo National Academy of the Arts.

Eirik Zeiner-Henriksen (born 1993, based in Oslo) is an art historian who has previously been a regular critic for the art journals Kunstkritikk and Billedkunst. He currently works as Grants Administrator at Office For Contemporary Art Norway (OCA). From 2021 to 2023 he was leading the working committee in the art section of the Norwegian Critics Association and from 2024 he is a board member of Kunstkritikk.

This event is part of the event series Billedkunst LIVE and is produced in close collaboration with the Planetarium at Vitensenteret, Trondheim. Coordinator: Tine Semb, Billedkunst. All visuals courtesy of Lesia Vasylchenko. Soundscape: Ørjan Amundsen for Lesia Vasylchenko. Post-production by Tine Semb and Lesia Vasylchenko. Projection technician at Vitensenteret: Lars Pedersen. Event producer at Vitensenteret: Erlend Sandblåst. Event coordinator at Vitensenteret: Kamilla Nystad.

Billedkunst Live is funded by the Fritt Ord Foundation / Stiftelsen Fritt Ord; The Savings Bank Foundation DNB / Sparebankstiftelsen; The Bergesen Foundation / Bergesenstiftelsen; Arts Council Norway / Kulturrådet.

Lesia Vasylchenko and Eirik Zeiner-Henriksen in conversation – listen to Billedkunst LIVE from Planetarium 13.06.2024

Continuing the conversation from Billedkunst no. 1 2023, artist Lesia Vasylchenko met writer and art historian Eirik Zeiner-Henriksen at Vitensenteret’s Planetarium Saturday, 25 May.