Earth, Wind, Fire, Water: Nordic Contemporary Crafts - A Critical Craft Anthology

Earth, Wind, Fire, Water is published to mark the exhibition of the same name in Moss, Norway, and presents the artistic work there in conjunction with articles from seven renowned writers and thinkers from the Nordic regions, presented in English and Danish.

Ceramic, glass and metal are inextricably linked to earth and fire. In this sense one might also say that textiles could not exist without wind and water. Through such a perspective, all craft practices can likewise be understood as part of the natural world.

All of the contributions deal with the exploration of material and elements, which here are understood as the so-called co-authors of artistic works, since they share in the artistic creative process - and sometimes even control it.

While the artists’ practices reflect the desire for a more profound connection to the earth, the writers penetrate deep into the material world and endeavour to substantiate concepts such as material interaction and agency, post-humanism, site-specificity and symbiotic thought: How do the artists interact with the materials they have chosen? How does one approach a material not from the position of a - domineering - master but from a perspective informed by curiosity and collaboration?