Peter Fischli and David Weiss, often shortened to Fischli/Weiss, were an artist duo that had been collaborating since 1979. They were among the most renowned contemporary artists of Switzerland. Their best-known work is the film Der Lauf der Dinge, described by The Guardian as being "post apocalyptic", as it concerned chain reactions and the ways in which objects flew, crashed and exploded across the studio in which it was shot. Fischli lives and works in Zürich; Weiss died on 27 April 2012.
Daniel Colen is an artist based in New York. His work consists of painted sculptures appropriating low-cultural ephemera, graffiti-inspired paintings of text executed in paint, and installations.
Håvard Homstvedt (1976) is a Norwegian artist.
Ugo Rondinone is a New York-based, Swiss-born mixed-media artist noted for a range of contemporary paintings and sculptures.
The Fjord City is an urban renewal project for the waterfront part of the center of Oslo, Norway. The first redevelopment was at Aker Brygge during the 1980s. Bjørvika and Tjuvholmen followed up during the 2000s, while the remaining parts of the Port of Oslo will be developed in the 2010s. The port will be relocated to Sørhavna. The planning is performed by the Oslo Waterfront Planning Office. Major investments in the area include a new Central Railway Station, an already completed Oslo Opera House, and the commercial buildings in the Barcode Project. Several large cultural institutions will be moved to Bjørvika, including moving the Oseberg Ship, Oslo Public Library, and the Munch Museum. The main barrier between the city and the fjord will disappear when European Route E18 is relocated to the Bjørvika Tunnel.
MAXXI is a national museum of contemporary art and architecture in the Flaminio neighborhood of Rome, Italy. The museum is managed by a foundation created by the Italian ministry of cultural heritage. The building was designed by Zaha Hadid, and won the Stirling Prize of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2010.
The ArcelorMittal Orbit is a 114.5-metre-high sculpture and observation tower in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London. It is Britain's largest piece of public art, and is intended to be a permanent lasting legacy of London's hosting of the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, assisting in the post-Olympics regeneration of the Stratford area. Sited between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre, it allows visitors to view the whole Olympic Park from two observation platforms.
Jørgen Craig Lello and Tobias Arnell are a collaborative duo of contemporary artists working under the name LELLO//ARNELL. Having met at the National Academy of Fine Arts, they started collaborating in 2003. They live and work in Oslo, Norway.
The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art is a privately owned contemporary art gallery in Oslo in Norway. It was founded and opened to the public in 1993. The collection's main focus is the American appropriation artists from the 1980s, but it is currently developing towards the international contemporary art scene, with artists like Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Matthew Barney, Tom Sachs, Doug Aitken, Olafur Eliasson and Cai Guo-Qiang. The museum gives 6-7 temporary exhibitions each year. Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art collaborates with international institutions, and produces exhibitions that travels worldwide. In 2012 the museum moved to two new buildings designed by Renzo Piano on Tjuvholmen.
The year 2012 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.
Alberto Mabungulane Chissano was a Mozambican sculptor best known for his work using indigenous woods, and sculptures in rock, stone and iron. He is considered to be one of Mozambique's most important and influential artists, together with the painter Malangatana Ngwenya.
The Thief is a luxury waterfront hotel located on Landgangen 1 on the islet of Tjuvholmen in Oslo, Norway, designed by the award-winning Mellbye Architects. The hotel opened on January 9, 2013, and is currently the only hotel designated as a Design Hotel in Norway. The Thief has 119 rooms and is a part of the Nordic Hotels & Resort chain owned by Forbes-billionaire Petter Stordalen. It is situated right next to the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, and thanks to a collaboration between the two, there is a large collection of contemporary art in the hotel. According to press reports, the hotel owned by Tjuvholmen KS had a price tag of 720 million NOK, giving each of the 119 rooms an average cost price of more than one million dollars.
Ørnulf Opdahl is a Norwegian painter and educator. He was born in Ålesund. He is represented in several art collections, including the National Gallery of Norway, Bergen Art Museum and the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art. He was appointed professor at the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts from 1985 to 1992.
Peder Lund is an Oslo-based art gallery with a focus on international, well-established Modern and Contemporary Art. After a twenty-year period of art dealership, Peder Lund’s extensive work with institutions and collectors in Norway and Scandinavia enabled him to foster lasting relationships between his clients and internationally acclaimed artists. In November 2009, the decision was made to establish an exhibition program, intending to broaden the dialogue with the general public and enhancing Oslo’s position in the global art consciousness. The gallery works in direct collaboration with its exhibited artists, their primary galleries or their Estates, in order to present comprehensive and varied exhibitions of high international quality.
Umedalen skulpturpark is an art exhibition and a sculpture garden in Umeå in Sweden.
Gardar Eide Einarsson is a Norwegian-born artist who lives and works in Tokyo and New York City.
Hans Rasmus Astrup is a Norwegian billionaire heir, businessman, and art collector.
