Kjersti Solbakken

Kjersti Solbakken is a curator, writer and institutional leader based in Bergen, Norway. Solbakken recently took up the role of director at Bergen Kunsthall, a centre for contemporary art presenting a vibrant program of exhibitions, events and learning activities, established in 1839. She was the curator of Lofoten International Art Festival - LIAF 2024, the longest-running art biennial in Scandinavia, presenting works by local and international artists in a location-conscious context. Inspired by the history of the Lofoten Line, one of the world's first experiments in wireless telegraphic communication developed in Lofoten in the 19th century, the festival constituted a vibrant network of temporary connections, featuring a large exhibition spread across a number of venues alongside a program of lectures and readings, performances, concerts, workshops and talks in dialogue with a wide range of collaborators and cross-institutional partnerships. Solbakken previously held the position of director at Kunstnerforbundet, one of Scandinavia’s oldest artist-run exhibition spaces where she oversaw the establishment of Atelier Kunstnerforbundet, a studio collective and network of art enthusiasts focused on engaging the public in the centre of Oslo. Other engagements include the role as director of institutions such as Galleri Format and Fotogalleriet in Oslo, and she has curated exhibitions for institutions such as Hordaland Kunstsenter and the Astrup Fearnley Museum. As an active initiator in the self-organised field, she has contributed to the establishment of platforms such as Feil forlag and the project space Holodeck and was for a period involved in Tekstallianse – a Nordic festival for micro-publishing and printed matter. She is part of KORO’s curatorial committee LES 2023-2024, a former board member of UKS—Young Artists Society and The Norwegian Association of Curators. Since 2023, she has been an OCA jury member. Her education includes an MA in curatorial studies from Bergen Academy of Art and Design and a BFA in Fine Arts from the Academy of Arts in Oslo, Norway. In 2022, she was granted the curator residency at the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) through OCA. She is co-editor of the forthcoming issue of the journal Metode - Currents: Regenerating Pasts for the Not Yet.