NICOLAUS WIDERBERG STUDIO

2004 

Produces a bronze bust of his father Frans Widerberg on his 70th birthday.

The Association of Norwegian Sculptors selects Widerberg to represent Norway at the international cultural programme planned to coincide with the Summer Olympics in Athens. HM King Harald and HM Queen Sonja open the exhibition Past in Future at Eleftherias Park Art Centre, Athens, from 8 – 30 June. The exhibition catalogue has an introduction by Mara-Helen Wood. 

Travels to Newcastle upon Tyne to install ‘Pillar Man’, a 6.5-metre-high bronze and stone sculpture, a commission for the University Gallery’s new Baring Wing. Supported by Arts Council England and Newcastle City Council, ‘Pillar Man’ is one of a series of sculpture commissions across the City to mark its hidden rivers. ‘Pillar Man’ marks the course of the Pandon Burn, which flows 20 metres below the University Gallery and Baring Wing. Attends the unveiling of the sculpture by Tarald Brautaset, the Norwegian Ambassador, London, and the opening of the University Gallery’s new Baring Wing, by Nicholas Baring CBE. 

Has a one-man exhibition at Galleri Brevik ,Tromsø. Participates in group exhibitions at the University Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne; Telemark Fylkesgalleri, Notodden Bluesfestival, Notodden and is represented at the Chelsea Art Fair, London. 

2005

The exhibition Past in Future, tours to Grounds for Sculpture, New Jersey, USA, from 8 January – 1 May 2005. Gives a public lecture at GFS in January. A new version of the Athens catalogue is produced for the tour.

Attends the unveiling of The Hay Weight, a commission for the town of Moss. Produced in Iddefjord granite and Larvikte, the monumental sculpture measures 350cm high. Delivers works to Statoil HQ, Houston; Statoil NYC and Engø Farm, Tuørne.

Exhibits eighteen paintings at Gallery Haaken, Oslo, from 27 April – 26 June. A fully illustrated catalogue with an introduction by Mara-Helen Wood accompanies the exhibition. Has one-man exhibitions at Galleri Varden, Moss; Galleri Osebro, Porsgrunn; Aalesunds Kunstforening, Ålesund and Risør Kunstforening. Has work included in the Olympia Art Fair, London and participates in group exhibitions at the University Gallery & Baring Wing, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Sandefjord Kunstforening, Sandefjord.

2 February, Jay Merrick describes the new Baring Wing of the University Gallery in the Independent Newspaper “This is quiet architecture, not much more than a partially-glazed box fused onto one of the university's core buildings. The only dramatic moment concerns the striking, elongated bronze figure and symbolic river, created by Nicolaus Widerberg, which faces St Mary's Place”.

2006 

Produces bronze busts of Knut Hamsun and Lars Saabye Christensen, each measuring 55cm high. Travels to Newcastle to install ‘Five Figures’, commissioned by the University Gallery for the city centre campus. In Oslo, he installs ‘Three Figures’ outside the Parliament Building; Domus Medicus, Oslo and Frontline, Aker Brygge, Oslo.

Has a one-man exhibition of recent sculpture titled ‘Shaped by Nature’ at Gallery Haaken, Oslo, from 11 October to 19 November. The accompanying catalogue has an introduction by Torill Helene Olsen, based on an interview with the artist first published in Krigsropet. Has one-man exhibitions during MaiJazz at Kunstgalleriet during the Stavanger International Jazz Festival and at Gallery Brandstrup, Stavanger. Group exhibitions include Lillesand Kunstforening; Gallery Ormelet, Tjøme, Tønsberg; Telemark Fylkesgalleri, Notodden; Gallery Nicolines Hus, Kragerø, and Gallery Haaken, Oslo.

2007 

London based film makers, Tangent Films, travel to Oslo to produce a documentary about Widerberg and his work in preparation for his exhibition at Kings Place Gallery, a new cultural centre in London at Kings Cross. 

In Newcastle for the installation of ‘Three Figures’, in Larvikite, Vånga granite and Iddefjord granite, commissioned by the University Gallery for the new city centre campus. Installs a number of works in the grounds at Hafslund Manor and Conference Centre, Sarpsborg.

Opens his one-man exhibition ‘Pressed’ at Norske Grafikere, Oslo, from 8 February to 4 March. Other one-man exhibitions are held at Galleri Varden, Moss; Galleri Guddal, Rosendal; Larvik Kunstforening, Larvik and Galleri Hanne, Trondheim. Participates in ‘Sculpture North Norway’, the Northern Norwegian Art Associations, as well as exhibitions in Belleville, Paris; Galleri His, Arendal and Stavern Kunstforening, Stavern.

Following a lengthy separation he and Marianne Boge divorce.

2008

Travels to London for the installation and opening of his exhibition ‘Past in Future’ at Kings Place Gallery, from 1 October - 28 November, a new arts, music and business centre at Kings Cross, London, affiliated to the University Gallery & Baring Wing, Newcastle upon Tyne. The exhibition catalogue includes an essay by the art critic William Varley. The opening programme includes paintings by the distinguished British abstract painter Albert Irvin OBE RA (1922 – 2015).

Widerberg’s folio edition ‘Baggage: 12 Lithographs and 12 Poems’, produced in collaboration with the Norwegian author and poet Lars Saabye Christensen are included in the opening programme of exhibitions at Kings Place Gallery, London.

Returns to Newcastle upon Tyne, to attend the unveiling of his sculpture ‘Five Figures’, by HM King Olav of Norway, on the 13 November. Later that day he travels to London to meet Crown Prince Haaken at Kings Place Gallery for a tour of his exhibition.

Installs the commission ‘Two People’ at Bærums Verk Sculpture Park. Has one-man exhibitions at Aalesund Kunstforening, Ålesund, and at Hå gamle Prestegard. Participates the 2008 Norwegian Sculpture Biennale, Oslo; Nicolines Hus, Kragerø, and at Sagbladfabrikken, Hamar.

His son Auguste Coucheron Widerberg is born.

2009

Designs a bottle for Mozell (YouTube).

‘Past in Future’ transfers from Kings Place Gallery, London to the University Gallery & Baring Wing in Newcastle, where it runs concurrently with an exhibition of prints by Mimmo Paladino, from 5 June – 31 July. 

In the same year, Widerberg completes commissions for Radiumhospitalet, Forskningsbygget, Oslo; installs ‘Nature, Culture, Human Being’ a commission for Hathon Real Estate, Copenhagen; a sandblasted glass wall, commissioned for Farris Bad, Hotel, Larvik; ‘Sculpture Group’ an installation using stone and water for Elverum Town Hall Square; a commission for the cruise ship Sebourn, for the USA and the commission for Losby Gods, Lørenskog in Akerhus near Oslo.   

Has a joint exhibition with his partner Camilla Coucheron at Bærum Kunstforening, Sandvika, from 14 November to 6 December. Art critic and editor Mette Torstensen opens the exhibition. ‎Other exhibitions are held at Bodø Kunstforening; Formuesforvaltning, Oslo, and Gallery Brevik, Tromsø. Participates in group exhibitions at Maihaugen, Lillehammer; Gallery Fin Form, Larvik Gallery Nevlunghavn, Stavern

His son Emanuel Coucheron Widerberg is born.