The Altar 1904-1948 (Rest in Pieces)
At Kunstplass Maria Sundby has made a site-specific installation titled “The Altar 1904-1948 (Rest in Pieces)”.
Since2011, Maria has collected about 1500 kilos of porcelain, ceramic, bones and metal from the old landfill at Langøyene*
in the Oslo Fjord. The installation consists of layer upon layer of history. The history of each thing as well as the history of Oslo.
A glass, a saucer, a porcelain figurine from a home in the east or west. Plates from hotels and restaurants that no longer exist. Fuses, light switches and conductors - all made of porcelain. Light bulbs that are not broken even after a hundred years.
it's about what we leave behind. It also gives an insight into the history of garbage and how garbage has changed in the last decades. This is classical high quality garbage, from the days before plastics.
In this work, Maria explores symbolic and documentary narratives linked to a number of actual events. Homes, human destinies, decay, impermanence and death are the components, without necessarily making up a direct linear story.
She captures the stories through whats left behind, and uses this to create something unique.
* Langøyene
Was originally two islands: The North Island and The South Island. The space in between them served as Oslo's landfill from 1904-1948. This led to a plague with flies and rats in the city. The landfill was discontinued by spraying it with DDT and replenishing with two meters of soil over the garbage dump in 1948. Thus, the two islands became one. The area has been used as a beach, recreation and tent site since. Due to environmental toxins and heavy metals, the island has been closed regularly.
In the autumn of 2019 Langøyene will be closed for 2 years. All the garbage on the beach will be removed / cast in concrete.
