SØYLEHORISONT (2025)
In this work, Anders Sletvold Moe draws inspiration from the landscape at Solbergfoss power station, where the sloping grassy hill forms the starting point for the sculpture’s design. The artwork combines references to the column traditions of antiquity, standing stones and industrial structures.THE SCULPTURE
Søylehorisont (eng. Column Horizon) consists of seven concrete columns, whose placement and height visualise the horizon line and terrain. The artwork also interacts with sunlight and the viewer’s movements.
‘The placement of the columns in the landscape allows the differences in terrain height to be experienced in a new, intensified and concentrated way. If you approach them from Solbergfoss power station, the columns appear as solid, square pillars, but as you move around them, you’ll see their form dissolve visually’, explains Sletvold Moe.
Sletvold Moe draws inspiration from architectural columns, ranging from classical marble columns of antiquity to the concrete pillars found in parking structures and modern buildings. For him, the form also has a personal connection to the standing stones that were a natural part of the landscape and his childhood play in Steinkjer.
‘I’m interested in the formal aspect, what a column is when it’s not supporting a structure. It may have lost its original function, but it still has sculptural value. A presence.’
Søylehorisont is made of polished white concrete with accents of marble, processed to achieve a highly polished surface. While concrete is often associated with rough, functional structures, Sletvold Moe unites the industrial and the classical through his choice of material.
‘Here, I use industrial materials to approach the appearance of classical white marble. It’s about highlighting the refined qualities inherent in these rough, industrial materials – and about collaborating with skilled professionals. In this project, I worked with Tunge Ting AS, with whom I’ve collaborated on several large-scale concrete projects since 2013.’
ANDERS SLETVOLD MOE (b. 1978)
Anders Sletvold Moe is a Norwegian artist educated at the Malmö Art Academy. He primarily works in painting, printmaking and sculpture, and has produced numerous public artworks alongside an extensive exhibition record. Sletvold Moe’s recognisable abstract language is closely tied to architecture and spatiality, often characterised by geometric principles and serial thinking. Drawing inspiration from 1960s and 1970s Minimalism and Land art, he works with industrial materials like concrete, elevating them with a precise and poetic expression.
To begin a project, Sletvold Moe searches for guiding principles – a sense derived from and developed in direct response to the site where the artwork will be placed.
‘It’s about arriving at the artwork’s inner logic through precision and thoughtfulness in its execution, from the first idea to the finished work.’
THE PLACE
In creating Søylehorisont, Anders Sletvold Moe spent time travelling around Indre Østfold to observe and reflect, seeking the right location. It was important for him that the site was already in use and accessible. At Solbergfoss by the Glomma River, there is both a swimming area and a recreational path, and the sloping grassy hill provides an openness that makes the work accessible to the public.
During the creative process, Sletvold Moe built wooden models and moved them around the landscape to understand the placement through direct, physical engagement.
‘I like working directly on site, not just relying on a digital sketch. I want the audience to experience the artwork with both eyes and body. Personally, I look forward to standing at the top column and scanning the landscape by following the tops of the subsequent columns, but there’s no single way the work should be experienced.
For Sletvold Moe, it was crucial to select the site himself, spend time understanding it, and allow the idea to emerge in close dialogue with the landscape. He emphasizes that his public projects should be as strong artistically as gallery works, providing visitors with a fully fledged art experience.
‘I think it’s wonderful if people take the time to seek out and see a work in public space, not just pass by it, but actively approach it, much like visiting a museum.’
Skulpturstopp is a gift from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB to Norwegian municipalities.
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