Outside the center of Oslo is the area of Ekely. A hilly terrain with traditional Norwegian wooden houses side by side with brick houses and modern mid-century buildings. Here, artist communities have survived for generations and around the landscape there are numerous workshops and studio spaces. But an old classical building in particular catches the eye.
Edvard Munchs Studio Ekely during group exhibition with Christian Tony Norum (March 2023)
Back in 2016 the artists Johannes Holt Iversen and Christian Tony Norum met and worked in Edvard Munchs Studio. A brief visit during Norums residency at Ekely, that culminated in the collaboration on a collaborative oil painting. Seven years later in 2023 Christian Tony Norum invited Johannes Holt Iversen back again to join forces now forming a group exhibition developing a salon space with 38 participating artists.
Christian Tony Norum (left) and Johannes Holt Iversen (right)
In this historically loaded building and with the driving force of celebrating painting and sculpture; letting great masters of the past such as Asger Jorn, Sigmar Polke and Edvard Munch participate on equal terms with original works among the living artists (as if they were an awakened force of artistic nature in these tokens), the exhibition was taking past, present and future up for questioning. Even the format of the salon exhibition was taken back into play.
Edvard Munchs Studio at Ekely, Oslo (NO)Collaborations at Edvard Munchs Studio in Ekely, Oslo (NO) March 2023Collaborations at Edvard Munchs Studio in Ekely, Oslo (NO) March 2023A table of oil paintings during collaborations at Edvard Munchs Studio in Ekely, Oslo (NO)Asger Jorn (top left) Johannes Holt Iversen (top right) Christian Tony Norum (low left) Johannes Holt Iversen (low right)Installation View 1: Group Exhibition at Edvard Munchs Studio in Ekely, Oslo (NO) 2023Installation View 2: Group Exhibition at Edvard Munchs Studio in Ekely, Oslo (NO) 2023Installation View 3: Group Exhibition at Edvard Munchs Studio in Ekely, Oslo (NO) 2023
As the global economy faced a severe recession in 2022-2023, investors scrambled to find safe havens for their wealth. While many turned to traditional assets like gold and real estate, others found stability in the art market. In fact, the transfer of wealth from stocks to assets like contemporary art has boosted the art market, with art fairs, galleries, and blue-chip artists seeing significant gains.
Lascaux 1.8.15 beta (Wall Street Shaman) by Johannes Holt Iversen
According to the Contemporary Art Market Report 2022 by Artprice, the contemporary art market has seen significant growth in recent years. In 2022, the market reached a total of $1.6 billion in sales, with over 6,000 artists sold. This represents a 9.6% increase in sales from the previous year, and a 16% increase in the number of artists sold. The report also notes that the average price of works sold at auction increased by 5.5% in 2022.
The rise of digital platforms has made it easier for investors to access the art market, with online auctions and galleries becoming more prevalent. Artalistic.com predicts that the art market will continue to thrive in 2022 and beyond, as wealthy investors increasingly turn to art as a safe haven for their wealth. In addition, the website notes that art has historically performed well during times of economic uncertainty.
Annika Nuttall Gallery during Enter Art Fair 2022 in Copenhagen (DK)
Small galleries are also experiencing a surge in interest from wealthy investors. One such gallery is Annika Nuttal Gallery, which represents Danish artist Johannes Holt Iversen. Iversen has been on the rise in Europe since 2016, and his work has been shown at prestigious galleries and art fairs across the continent. Nuttal’s gallery has seen a significant uptick in interest in Iversen’s work, with investors looking for a stable and profitable investment in the art market.
Artsy.net outlines five key trends that defined the art market in 2022. These include the rise of digital platforms, an increase in private sales, the growing influence of Asia on the art market, the popularity of contemporary African art, and a renewed focus on female artists. These trends are expected to continue in 2023 and beyond, as the art market adapts to changing economic conditions and new technologies.
Visitors Inspecting Works during Art Herning 2023
Investment Art Blog Artelier.com also notes that art is a good investment in 2022 for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a tangible asset that can be enjoyed and displayed, unlike stocks or bonds. Secondly, it has a low correlation with other asset classes, meaning that it can help to diversify an investment portfolio. Finally, art has historically performed well during times of economic uncertainty, making it a stable investment in turbulent times.
The resilience of contemporary art as an investment during the recession of 2022-2023 has been remarkable. While many other asset classes, such as stocks and real estate, saw significant losses, the contemporary art market held strong. This resilience can be attributed to the unique qualities of art as an asset, including its tangible nature and its ability to hold cultural and historical value.
Annika Nuttall Gallery during Enter Art Fair 2022
In conclusion, the art market has proven to be a stable and profitable investment during the recession of 2022-2023. Wealthy investors have turned to art as a safe haven for their wealth, with small galleries, blue-chip artists, and digital platforms all seeing significant gains. As the art market adapts to changing economic conditions and new technologies, it is expected to continue to thrive in the years to come, offering investors a unique and rewarding opportunity to diversify their portfolios and invest in one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring cultural expressions.
However, it’s important to note that investing in art is not without risk. As with any investment, there is always the possibility of losing money, and the art market can be notoriously difficult to navigate. It’s important to do thorough research on artists, galleries, and auction houses before making any investment decisions, and to work with a trusted advisor or consultant who can provide guidance and support.
Furthermore, it’s important to recognize that the art market is not immune to wider social, economic, and political trends. As Artfacts.net notes, the pandemic had a significant impact on the art market in 2020 and 2021, with many galleries and art fairs forced to close or cancel events. The recession of 2022-2023 may have also had an impact on the market, and it remains to be seen how the art market will fare in the years to come.
Despite these challenges, the art market has proven to be a resilient and enduring investment opportunity for those willing to take the time to understand its unique characteristics and navigate its complexities. With the transfer of wealth from stocks to assets like contemporary art, the market is poised to continue its upward trajectory in the years to come, offering investors a unique and rewarding opportunity to invest in one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring cultural expressions.
In conclusion, the recession of 2022-2023 has underscored the resilience and stability of the contemporary art market as an investment opportunity. From small galleries to blue-chip artists, from digital platforms to prestigious auction houses, the art market has proven to be a rewarding and profitable option for those seeking to diversify their investment portfolios and find stability in turbulent times. As the market continues to adapt to changing economic conditions and new technologies, it will undoubtedly offer new and exciting opportunities for investors in the years to come.
In recent years, artificial intelligence has made a significant impact on the world of art, and one artist, Johannes Holt Iversen, is using these tools to create a new series of works named Skinwalker IO. The series consists of a set of paintings, made from a series of digital studies, which will be released as NFTs via OpenSea on February 8th, 2023. The studies were developed using AI language models and image processors to create the series for the forthcoming solo exhibition on April 15th, 2023.
The Skinwalker IO studies will be available digitally on the NFT platform OpenSea from February 8th 2023
Johannes Holt Iversen began experimenting with AI in the beginning of 2022, and his recent series of works has often been linked to technology. Now in 2023, a series of physical works such as paintings, sculptures and installations will be presented created with the assistance of AI. The artist was inspired by the ancient stories of magical beings that could transform into, possess or disguise themselves as animals and biological entities; the ancient myths of the skinwalker.
The Skinwalker IO painting-series will be public exhibited for the first time via Annika Nuttall Gallery on April 15th 2023 during the solo exhibition SKINWALKER IO
The artist also explores the idea that the “skinwalker” is not a human being, but the alien lifeform of AI expanding its knowledge about the human from each typing into the prompt. The artist’s work has been included in countless international and private art collections the past couple of years, and also in public collections such as the Swedish municipality of Halland.
The artist recently collaborated with Noma Restaurant Director Jason White at Noma Fermentation Lab in Copenhagen, developing a new take on how synthetic and organic art can coexist. Johannes Holt Iversen’s recent collaboration with Noma Restaurant Director Jason White at Noma Fermentation Lab in Copenhagen highlights the theme of how synthetic and organic art can coexist. The collaboration aimed to explore how interdisciplinary methods can be applied and used to enhance and augment traditional art forms. The collaboration between the artist and the fermentation lab resulted in a new take on how gastronomy, biology and science can assist in the creative process of creating art.
The Collaboration with Jason White at the Noma Fermentation Lab inside the restaurant Noma in Copenhagen. The Final artwork now hangs in the pristine kitchen.
Using AI as an enhancement The use of AI in art is not a new concept, but it is becoming more prevalent as the technology advances. In the past, AI was mainly used to generate art in a purely digital format, but now artists are using AI to enhance the traditional art forms. This is evident in Johannes Holt Iversen’s forthcoming soloexhibition “SKINWALKER IO”.
The artist’s use of AI within his practice is a prime example of how AI can have a creative impact on the artistic process. AI allows for the creation of new materials, new forms and variations that would not be possible without it. In this case, the AI was used to create a new series of works that blended the synthetic and the organic, resulting in something entirely new and unique.
“Kraken” from the painting-series “Skinwalker IO”
AI also has the potential to change the way we think about art and its creation. In the past, art was seen as something that was created solely by human hands, but now with the use of AI, it is becoming clear that art can in the future be a collaboration between human and machine. This opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for artists and art lovers alike.
Overall, not only the collaboration with AI but also the collaboration between Johannes Holt Iversen and Noma Fermentation Lab is a prime example of how artists today are changing the way they think about art and its creation. It highlights the potential to enhance and augment traditional art forms, and it is a glimpse into the future of how AI will continue to have a creative impact on the artistic process.
The Skinwalker IO studies will be available digitally on the NFT platform OpenSea from February 8th 2023
The artist concludes his recent research, that this is the dawn of a new era not seen since the birth of photography, when it comes to artistic expression and artistic research. Artificial Intelligence has reached a point where it is possible to let them assist within the creative processes, when developing new works of art, but at what cost? The artist invites the audience to subscribe the pre-release of the studies via holt-iversen.com
The solo exhibition “SKINWALKER IO” will be held by Annika Nuttall Gallery in April 2023. This exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in the intersection of technology and art, and the impact of AI on the creative process. As Johannes Holt Iversen continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with AI in the art world, audiences can expect to see even more exciting and thought-provoking works from this talented artist.
This press article was generated & written by ChatGPT 25-01-2023
As the year 2022 has come to a soon and forthcoming end, I am making the final touches to my latest broad and extensive artistic research; understanding the vast possibilities of the mimicking artificial intelligences, both the extensive new language models as well as the latest visual ai-processors available to university researchers alongside the commercial available processors (Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Dall-E etc.).
During my recent artistic work I have taken the new tools into grasp and adobted artifical intelligence into my work. Developing upon a series of studies I am taking a quantum-leap away from the Lascaux-series into my new series of works named SKINWALKER IO. These studies will become available as NFT’s via Annika Nuttall Gallery very shortly.
One of my strongest findings while developing my visual works using the super-brains of artificial intelligences; was how to trick the Ai to develop ”subconscious absurdities”, yet manageable for the chaotic human brain to build meaning into and visually understand. With an almost Salvador Dali dark-space way of thinking, the hypothesis was to build a vast combination of several artificial intelligences, building a big web of defocused thought-strings which was then feeded into one specific artificial intelligence after being word-processed by a non-visual artificial intelligence (gbt-3). Now the end result you might ask? An endless stream of visual nonsense build-up by processing fragments of textprompts developed in collaboration with the OpenAi language model GBT-3 (now called ChatGBT).
Skinwalker IO Study
This way I was able to build a sort of ”programming language” or clear-coded prompt which would then make the textprompts more direct and easier for the Ai to understand rather than the dull ”human language” which also functions as a cultural barrier. The visual ai-processors was then more common to create the illusion of abstract thinking and subconscious image processing. Rather than making literal figurative visualisations when you ask the Ai to make a figuration or motive (example: write ”dog” and the machine creates a dog figuratively).
The Skinwalker Io studies are my early visual testimony of trying to build an artistic prompt-language stronger than the common human language was capable of. And thereby preserving the necesity of artistic understanding and abstraction.
Skinwalker1 io as a series relates by the name to the ancient stories of magical beings that could transform into, possess or disguise themselves as animals and biological entities. In modern western pop-culture this has often been referred to in science fictional ways such as John Carpenters movie ”the thing” from 1982 where the skinwalker came in various biological hazardous ways. As a bacterial infection or a virus, changing its host into a sentient alien being.
However during my studies with the artificial intelligences it struck me that the skinwalker was not me the human being necessarily, rather the alien lifeform expanding its knowledge about me from each typing into the prompt. I/O is the technical term for the the data or information that is passed into or out of a computer; as I was becoming aware that the real Skinwalker posessing and disguising itself was the I/O (computer input)2.
Skinwalker IO Study
Just as we are currently witnessing the largest allocation of wealth in late modern history3 (2020-2022); this overseen but equally deterioating power structure and evolutionary step in human creative consciousness are taking place simultanously. It may sound pompous in all its fabulation here. But it is however nonetheless the dawn of a new era when it comes to artistic expression and artistic research. Artificial Intelligence has reached a point where it is possible to let them assist you within the creative processes, when developing new works of art. But at what cost? The Prompt-whisperers are slowly but securely entering our collective counsciousness and the tales of their disguise and poseessing powers are yet to be told.
Skinwalker IO Studies will be available via Skinwalker.io beginning of 2023
1Wall, C., 2011. Navajo-English Dictionary. New York: Hippocrene Books.
2 Collins English Dictionary, 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/i-o> [Accessed 30 September 2022].
3Sorkin, A., Warner, B., Giang, V., Kessler, S., Gandel, S., Merced, M., Hirsch, L. and Livni, E., 2022. After a Big Rate Increase, Markets Fear a Recession. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/business/dealbook/fed-latest-rate-increase-odds-recession.html> [Accessed 30 September 2022].
During December 2021 and January 2022, Johannes Holt Iversen has developed a work in collaboration with Director of Fermentation, Jason White from the highly acclaimed Noma Restaurant. The work consist of a plexiglass construction containing a combination of Optical Holographic PVC and grown Mycelium Hyphae-mold biologically slowed down through the Laboratory-equipment at Noma Restaurant. The objective with the collaboration was to investigate the borders between the synthetic and the organic and where these opposites meet.
Director of Fermentation, Jason White & Visual Artist, Johannes Holt Iversen in front of the newly installed work now hanging in the Kitchen and Laboratory at Noma Restaurant“Non-Fungible Synthetic Token YH-001”, exhibited at Noma Restaurant (2022)“Non-Fungible Synthetic Token YH-001”, exhibited at Noma Restaurant (2022)
Johannes Holt Iversen is now officially being represented by The Edit Gallery on Cyprus. The cypriot gallery owner Elena Ioannidou has a vast experience in the art world. With a MA degree in Art Business from Sothesby’s Institute of Art in London she has a keen knowledge on the multifaceted art market. The Edit Gallery was established in 2019 and is focussing on National -& International Contemporary Art. The Edit Gallery is a member of The Federation of European Art Galleries Association (F.E.A.G.A.)
The Edit Gallery will be representing Johannes Holt Iversen on Cyprus
From April 2021 the Paris-based Galerie208 will be representing Johannes Holt Iversen’s work in France moving forward. Gallery owner Patricia Chicheportiche launched Galerie 208 in 2006, representing artists and contributing to their larger recognition. Among their collaborations is the renowned hyper-realist sculptor Daniel Firman. Galerie 208 has invested in places such as the Invalides, Palais de Tokyo and Printemps Haussmann.
Galerie 208 will represent Johannes Holt Iversen in Paris, with works from his series called “Lascaux”
By the beginning of March, the virus had spread to all regions of Italy.
Italian Covid-checkpoint near Montepulciano (Photographer: Alfredo Falvo)
“What struck me the most when I arrived in Florene Airport on the 27th of July; was experiencing the horrific aftermath of what the first wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic had done to Italy. Here the military vans -and personel was patrolling outside the white testing camps at the airport entrance, as the masked testing-staff were triaging you before you could fully enter Italy.”
Johannes Holt Iversen, August 2020
As of July 2020, Italy had 688,435 active cases, one of the highest in the world. But how was it to witness the pictoresque Italy in the middle of a global crisis?
“You could experience endless rows of beautiful lonesome Tuscan streets, especially surrounding the bigger towns. In the evening you would see ambulances driving in to town and you knew instantly that someone were to be taken to the hospital for covid-observations. The anxiety and fear just permeated into everything.”
Johannes Holt Iversen, August 2020
In May, many restrictions were gradually eased, and on 3rd of June freedom of movement across Italian regions and other European countries was restored.
Thereby also making the artist residency programme possible for art collector Roy Ockers and artist Johannes Holt Iversen to proceed and fulfill.
Artist Johannes Holt Iversen and International Art Collector Roy Ockers
Johannes Holt Iversen during his residency in Montefollonico, Tuscany (Photographer: Alfredo Falvo)Johannes Holt Iversen during his residency in Montefollonico, Tuscany (Photographer: Alfredo Falvo)
Works from the Lascaux-series made during the Banditto Artist Residency in Montefollonico, Tuscany, ItalyA Room With A View – During artist residency in Montefollonico, Tuscany
Johannes Holt Iversen is exhibiting a series of works from his series Lascaux 1.0 beta alongside selected oil paintings in the Ambassador’s residence in the Hague, Netherlands. In collaboration with the danish ministry of foreign affairs, the Royal Danish Embassy is showcasing the works until 2021/2022. For more information please contact the Danish ministry of foreign affairs or the Royal Danish Embassy.
Royal Danish Embassy, the Hague, Netherlands 2020Royal Danish Embassy, the Hague, Netherlands 2020Royal Danish Embassy, the Hague, Netherlands 2020
Paris Fashion Designer Tatiana Quard and Amsterdam-based Contemporary Painter Johannes Holt Iversen has initiated a collaboration in creating a series of clothes using unconventional methods to turn contemporary painting into futuristic designs in their new series “Centaurus Alpha Centauri”.
The collaboration which took place working across both major cities Amsterdam and Paris, draws inspirations from various cultural sources with a strong link into futuristic thinking. The pieces has been shot in a series of pictures by fashion photographer Jean-Phillipe Cervel in Paris. With influences such as modern techwear and astronautical workwear, which has resurfaced visually persistently since the 2000s, the duo has taken an approach to the futuristic look which grounds in a rather more arte avant-garde, than the technology-driven approach usually associated with the style.
