EXHIBITION · Observations of a New Norwegian Fauna · Solo artist Helge Skodvin · CPF

En oppustelig haj kastet ind i en garage. En kanin på størrelse med et hus. En plastiklaks placeret i en græsplæne. I den norske fotograf Helge Skodvins Observations of a New Norwegian Fauna træder Norges uofficielle dyreliv – havens ornamenter, skulpturelle væsener og masseproducerede dyr – frem som et uventet supplement til landets fauna.

Over otte år, fra 2014 til 2022, rejste Skodvin rundt i Norge med sit kamera og observerede og dokumenterede alle disse “nye arter”: store dinosaurer, havelamaer, kænguruer og andre kunstige dyr spredt i landskabet.

I Norge har Artsdatabanken registreret 30.346 dyrearter og anslår, at det reelle antal ligger tættere på 41.000. En stor del af landets fauna er med andre ord stadig udokumenteret.

Skodvin bruger dette vakuum som afsæt for på humoristisk vis at udforske hverdagens menneskeskabte landskaber og udvider samtidig forestillingen om norsk fauna gennem dens egne forbrugsdrevne frembringelser.

Skodvins særlige, legende blik lokker os ind, men hans værker rummer en invitation til at reflektere dybere over konsekvenserne af forbrugerkulturen og den parallelle biodiversitetskrise, der udspiller sig i de landskaber, vi tror, vi kender.

Gennem et nærmest antropologisk blik udvider han vores forståelse af norsk natur og udfordrer de stereotype og fastlåste forestillinger om den. Hans billeder minder os om, at norsk natur er mere end de smukke, dramatiske fjorde – at vores påvirkning af det, vi opfatter som vild natur, er massiv, og at den begynder lige uden for vores hoveddør. Bogstaveligt talt.

An inflatable shark thrown in a garage. A rabbit the size of a house. A plastic salmon displayed in a field of grass. In Norwegian photographer Helge Skodvin’s Observations of a New Norwegian Fauna, Norway’s unofficial wildlife – its garden ornaments, sculptural creatures, and mass-produced animals – emerges as an unexpected addition to the country’s fauna.

Across eight years, from 2014 to 2022, Skodvin travelled across Norway with his camera, observing and recording all of these ‘new species’: large dinosaurs, garden llamas, kangaroos, and other artificial animals scattered across the landscape.

In Norway, the Species Data Bank has registered 30,346 animal species and estimates the real number to be closer to 41,000. A large part of the country’s fauna, in other words, remains undocumented. 

Skodvin uses this gap as a springboard to explore the everyday, human-built landscapes of his country in a humorous way, and expands on the idea of Norwegian fauna through its own consumer-driven creations.

Skodvin’s unique gaze playfully lures us in, but beneath it lies an invitation to consider the consequences of consumer culture and the parallel crisis in biodiversity unfolding in the landscapes we think we know.

Through Skodvin’s anthropological lens, our view of Norwegian nature expands as he confronts our stereotypical and stale view of nature. His images remind us that there is more to Norwegian nature than the beautiful, dramatic fjords – that our influence on what we think of as wild nature is immense, and that it begins at our front door. Literally.

Helge Skodvin (f. 1968, Norge) er en Bergen-baseret fotograf, kendt for sit skarpe blik, sin humor og sin dokumentariske blik på vores samtid. Han er oprindeligt uddannet tømrer, senere tog han en BA i fotografi fra London College of Printing (1994–1997) og har siden arbejdet som freelancefotograf for større internationale publikationer.

Hans arbejde kredser ofte om særegenheder i norsk hverdagskultur, formidlet med en distinkt visuel humor. Skodvin har udgivet flere anerkendte fotobøger. Hans værker indgår i nationale samlinger som Preus Museum og Norges Fotomuseum og har været udstillet internationalt.

Helge Skodvin (b. 1968, Norway) is a Bergen-based photographer known for his sharp eye, humor, and documentary approach to contemporary life. Originally trained as a carpenter, he later earned a BA in Photography from the London College of Printing (1994–1997) and has since worked as a freelance photographer for major international publications. His work often explores the quirks of everyday Norwegian culture with a distinct visual wit. Skodvin has published several acclaimed photo books. His works are included in national collections such as Preus Museum and the National Museum of Photography in Norway, and exhibited internationally.

 Instagram · @hskodvin

Image credit: @ Helge Skodvin