NICOLAUS WIDERBERG STUDIO

1998

As ‘Artist of the Year’ at the Hadeland Glassworks, Widerberg is invited to design the ‘artist’s glass’. Using traditional glass blowing methods he produces a series of glass heads in a range of textures and patterns, some coloured with cobalt blue pigments. The success of these heads encourages further experimentation. Instead of blowing the heads, he begins casting heads and torsos in modified bronze moulds, ultimately enabling him to produce larger and more ambitious pieces.  

Wins a limited competition with ‘Løftet II’ (Lifted II), 1998, larvikite/stainless steel, 270 x 125 x 100cm, which the architects Aviaplan present to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. Installs work at Bekkelaget Church, Oslo. Produces illustrations for the book ‘Tulipandronningen’ (The Tulip Queen), by Vetle Lid Larssen. Interviews with Hege Duckert and Audun Engelstad in Dagbladet; Svein Kristiansen in Fredrikstad Blad 22.11.1998 and Hege Steinsland in Aftenposten 2. 11. 1998.

Participates in the exhibitions ‘Momentum’ at Gallery Brandstrup, Moss; Norske Grafikere, Oslo; Lillehammer Kunstmuseum, ‘Stonemasons’, Lillehammer; ‘PRINTS’, at Xi-an Academy of FINE Arts, China. 

Artist and teacher, Monika Stø v d Wel joins the Widerberg studio initially as an intern, but continues to work with Widerberg on his exhibitions, commissions and manages the studio. 

1999

Has his first exhibition in Britain at the University Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, which has strong links with Norway through its Director Mara-Helen Wood who has curated exhibitions by his father Frans Widerberg, Edvard Munch, Ørnulf Opdahl and other international artists. Nico Widerberg’s one-man exhibition, from 25 September to 6 November, is part of the UK-wide Visions of Norway programme of Arts & Culture at the Millennium, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo. The accompanying exhibition catalogue includes an essay by the art critic William Varley, Nicolaus Widerberg: Remembering the Past, Confronting the Future. 

As a public/commercial enterprise, the University Gallery is central to the commissioning of works for the University’s Permanent Collection and introducing Widerberg’s work to clients who are also major developers. Over the course of the next ten years Widerberg is commissioned to produce a series of monumental sculptures linking the buildings and pathways across the University’s extended city centre campus. From his exhibition, ‘Wind Column’, 1998/99, bronze/diabase, 330 x 36 x 21cm, is purchased for the University’s new Coach Lane Campus development near the coast. Parabola Estates, developers with interests in Newcastle, London and Edinburgh commission paintings and sculpture for their buildings, along with Seaham Hall Hotel and Red Box Architects. 

Spends the next two years working on the water sculpture commission ‘The Wheel’ for Sjølyt Atrium, Skøyen, Oslo; installs work at Aker Maritim ASA, Lilleaker; the Norwegian Embassy, Berlin and Alfaset Memorial Cemetery, Oslo. Has a one-man exhibition at Hå gamle Prestegard, Jæren and participates in group exhibitions at Galleri Art Contact, Wien, Austria; Steningen Castle World Exhibition of Glass, Sweden and Le Petit Format, Gallery Haaken, Oslo.

2000 

Publication of the monograph ‘Nicolaus Widerberg’ by Cecilie Malm Brundtland, published by Labyrinth Press. A limited-edition folio of four lithographs, each 23 x 31cm, is produced to accompany the book. 

Produces his largest glass head in cobalt blue, weighing over 200 kilos, which surmounts a 5.5-metre-high torso, in ‘Towards Melderskin’, a commission for Kvinnherad Sparebank, Rosendal , in the county of Hordaland. Installs the commission ‘Dressed’ produced in Larvikite, measuring 45cm high, for Farris Bad, Larvik, and a sandblasted glass wall for Reiten & Co, Oslo. Installs work at Parabola Estates, Central Square, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Holds one-man exhibitions at Kunstnerforbundet and Gallery Haaken, Oslo. Participates in a group exhibition at Kapperups Konsthall, Sweden.

2001

Unveiling of ‘Tid’ (Time), 1995, diabase, 212 x 70 x 45cm, at Kistefos Sculpture Park, Jevnaker and the installation of ‘The Kiss’, produced in Iddefjord granite, commissioned for Colosseum Park, Oslo. Installs work at Seaham Hall Hotel, Sunderland; Hotel Latvia, Riga and on the ship Radiance 2, RCCL, USA.

Has one-man exhibitions at Galleri Christian Dam, from 15 September to 14 October, Copenhagen, and Galleri G, Rosendal. Participates in exhibitions at Galler Bi-Z, Kristiansand; Galleri Haaken, Oslo; Gallery Brandstrup, Oslo, and Molde Kunstforening during the Molde Jazz Festival.

Suffers a serious accident when a diving platform collapses and crashes on his head pushing him underwater. He is hospitalised and spends a lengthy period convalescing to regain his sense of balance and the use of his hands.

2002 

Installs ‘Ægir’ a commissioned for Hurtigruten Finnmarken, in bronze, measuring 2 metres high; Seaham Hall Hotel, Sunderland; Radianc 4, RCCL, USA and Klepp Medical Centre, Klepp. Has one-man exhibitions at Aalesund Kunstforening, Ålesund and Weidemann Samlingen, Ringebu. Participates in exhibitions at Galler Bi-Z Kristiansand and at Nils Aas Kunstverksted, Inderøya, Sør-Trøndelag.

2003

Installs ‘Three People’ in Iddefjord granite, a commissioned for Asker, Eksportfinans, Oslo and Torgmannen, Torget, Molde. Has one-man exhibitions at Gallery Haaken, Oslo, from 7 May to 22 June; Gallery Nicolinus Hus, from 12 June – 2 August. Participates in group exhibitions at Sal Haaken, Henie-Onstad Art Centre, Bærum and at Gallery Gamle Ormelet, Tjøme.

Travels to Cambodia with Magne Furuholmen to support the charity Save the Children.