Image: Telemark kunstmuseum, Notodden
Kunstnergruppen ANNEX is presenting ‘It’s Good to Have Friends!’ outside Telemark Kunstmuseum at Tinfos in Notodden, Norway. The audio-visual installation is housed inside a hand-painted, rose-painted freight container and will be on view from 8 August through 11 October 2026.
Described by the museum as a sculptural installation and a “walking exhibition,” the work invites visitors to enter the container and encounter its audio-visual elements. It will be open during Telemark Kunstmuseum’s regular opening hours, while the sculpture will also be accessible from outside around the clock later in the autumn, according to the museum’s listing.
The installation’s title refers to remarks by Jens Stoltenberg, former NATO secretary general, in the closing words of a speech to the US Congress. ANNEX uses the apparently affirmative phrase as a starting point for questions about political alliances: whether friends always have good intentions, and whether allies can also create problems. The artists, Kjersti G. Andvig and Mona Bentzen, frame the work in relation to the current tense global situation and ask viewers to consider how Norway may contribute either to increasing or reducing that tension.
The container’s exterior is decorated with hand-painted Norwegian rosemaling by Geir Morten Kåsastul from Heddal in Telemark. The museum connects the ornamentation with the idea of “whitewashing” or beautifying difficult realities, while also linking the container to a traditional Norwegian craft associated with 19th-century nation-building. The contrast between a transport container and a form of decorative folk art is central to the installation’s visual presentation.
Kunstnergruppen ANNEX was formed in 2015 and currently consists of Andvig and Bentzen. The group’s practice addresses Norwegian politics and different aspects of migration and asylum policy, with particular attention to the underlying causes associated with war and arms production, as well as their human and environmental consequences. Its stated aim is to combine traditional and unconventional forms and spaces to generate debate around important social choices.
Telemark Kunstmuseum is one of the visitor sites operated by NIA, an organisation that describes itself as comprising unique destinations and more than 70 experiences in the Telemark area. The museum is part of the Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage context. ‘It’s Good to Have Friends!’ is supported by KORO, Billedkunstnernes Vederlagsfond, the Norwegian Arts Council, Nordland County Council, Bodø2024 and Bodø Biennale; its tour is supported by KORO. The presentation at Tinfos runs until 11 October 2026.
