Aslaug M. Juliussen: Skjæringspunkter / Russenčuoggát / Intersections Anchorage Museum
In this first comprehensive solo exhibition of the works of Sámi artist Aslaug M. Juliussen, the Anchorage Museum plays host to Skjæringspunkter / Russenčuoggát /
Intersections, an exhibition previously on display at Blaafar veværket in Drammen, Norway and at the Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum in Tromsø, Norway. Though her work is rarely seen outside of Norway, this is not Juliussen’s first time exhibiting her work at the Anchorage Museum. In 2015 her work was included in the travelling exhibition Sámi
Stories. We caught up with Curator Charis Gullickson to learn more:
Skjæringspunkter / Russenčuoggát /
Intersections is not fully a retrospective, but a diverse representation of her ar tistic practice. The works in the show span from the early 1990s to today. There are a lot of similarities, but her work has changed significantly over time. There are some textiles from the early 1990s because weaving huge linen and wool tapestries is how she started. She moved into making the threedimensional work she is now known for, later in her career. Over time the works have jumped off the walls and taken on a new form, but they maintain references to textile and ideas of the body and animals versus humans. Typically her exhibitions have included only her most recent series, because she mostly works in series, but it was interesting to see older works in dialogue with newer pieces.
At Anchorage Museum, works by Sonya Kelliher-Combs will be on display in the museum's permanent collection galleries. We wanted to highlight the connections between female artists working in the circumpolar North, particularly those working with natural materials and hide.
For this project, we made the first monograph on Juliussen’s ar tistic practice. We invited authors of diverse professional backgrounds to write because her works are so layered that writings from different reference points help viewers come to a greater understanding of her practice.
Juliussen’s artworks are beautiful and appealing, but also uncanny. Some of the materials seem familiar, but many are unknown and strange. Is there beauty in hooves, antlers and other dissected animal parts? Juliussen’s work points to the distance we modern humans have from nature, body and death.