(Re)introducing The Resting Room at Kunstnernes Hus
In January 2025, The Resting Room returns to Kunstnernes Hus. This intimate space – the only exhibition room with a view on the second floor – was originally called "Hvilerommet" in the 1929 architectural drawings by Gudolf Blakstad and Herman Munthe-Kaas. When Kunstnernes Hus opened in 1930, the press noted that the walls of the room were “lined with light gray-green velour”.
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In recent decades, the room has been referred to as The Boardroom, but its original name is now being permanently reinstated. The room will serve as the framework for periodic exhibitions that explore rest as a theme. What does rest mean today compared to 1930, when the nature of work and rest was fundamentally different? What is the relationship between rest and productivity? Could the definition of rest serve as a lens through which to understand a society – or even as a way to imagine a society and forms of living that are not evaluated solely based on endless production and growth curves?
During the renovation, we discovered a small green paint stain beneath many layers of old wall coverings. Using this as a reference, we recreated the room’s gray-green color. This moss-like shade now provides the backdrop for an installation that is part of Jannik Abel’s exhibition Back to the Land, which draws connections between art and the surrounding landscape. Branches stripped from their trunks through clear-cutting – a forestry practice that eliminates biodiversity and is still widespread in Norway – are placed against the window.
The Resting Room is part of a broader program series titled Bearing Structures. Inspired by the upcoming rehabilitation project of the building, the series highlights how not only buildings but also people – including art and artists – always rely on various support functions and individuals to exist.
Special thanks to Alcro for their assistance in matching the old paint stain with new wall paint as the official paint sponsor of Kunstnernes Hus.
Image above: From Jannik Abel's exhibition. Photo: Tor S. Ulstein/Kunstdok