Northing / Kinakaal forlag

Lens and Landscape is a pair of photo books that transcends geographical boundaries, uniting two photographers from opposite corners of the world who were unable to physically collaborate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Curated by Northing and published by Kinakaal forlag, this publication is the result of an ambitious project that unfolded in unforeseen ways.

In 2019, Northing, a multicultural organization based in Bergen, initiated an ambitious project titled ‘Stage and Landscap'. The plan was to bring together the unique artistic perspectives of Norwegian photographer Tonje Bøe Birkeland and Chinese photographer Maleonn, hailing from Shanghai. Maleonn was renowned for his imaginative and theatrical photographs, carefully staged within the confines of his studio. His absurd visual narratives and psychedelic images usually feature others than himself - actors, models, or onlookers. In stark contrast, Tonje, an artist based in Bergen, used the natural world as her stage, embodying forgotten female explorers of the past and challenging the male-dominated historical narrative. Northing recognized the potential for a captivating collaboration, hoping it would ignite unforeseen creativity.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing travel restrictions thwarted the artists' plans to physically meet and work together. However, undeterred by these obstacles, Northing created a virtual meeting point in the form of a book. L&L serves as a tangible manifestation of their creative encounter, with a conversation between the two artists alongside their most significant works.

The book's design, ingeniously materialized by Yilei and Pan Yanrong, is an artful expression in itself. Divided into two parts, each dedicated to one artist, the book is bound together by a bookcase. To fully understand the intention behind the book, readers are encouraged to lay the bookcase flat on a table and simultaneously open both parts of the book, as the page numbers flow seamlessly from one side to the other. With each spread consisting of four pages, the photographs by the two artists engage in a captivating visual dialogue guided by a discernible logic.

L& L transcends physical barriers, offering an intimate glimpse into the artistic minds of Tonje Bøe Birkeland and Maleonn. Through this innovative book, their unique perspectives and creative visions intertwine, proving that even in the face of adversity, art can forge connections that defy distance and bring people together.

In this set of books, a Japanese couple consisting of two artists, Chie and Rei Ito, create tranquil tales with recycled and homemade paper. Quiet Friends is wrapped in Huroshiki (traditional Japanese wrapping cloths) and includes three separate picture books. Chie and Rei Ito don’t advocate any particular moral or lesson through their stories. According to them, complex, multifaceted and engaging stories can appear to be rather simple. All stories are published in four languages: Japanese (original), English, Norwegian, and Chinese.

This poetry anthology features works of seven poets from Bergen and seven poets from Shanghai. The title Fjell Hav Poesi (Mountain Sea Poetry) was inspiredby the names of the two cities, Mountain for Bergen and Sea for Shanghai. The anthology won the Gold award in Norway’s Most Beautiful Books of the Year 2021 within the category of Artist’s Books.

A mini zine (commonly known as Mamehon in Japan and Dòu Běn in China) is a palm-sized, flash-fictional, handmade artist book. Northing started its collaboration with the Chinese risograph studio and art book store Bananafish in 2019 to curate Norwegian mini zines. Although the final product is small, it is one of Northing’s biggest collaborations, involving one hundred Norwegian artists, designers, and illustrators. The Norwegian mini zine boxes contain 12 mini zines each by 12 different Norwegian artists or artists based in Norway, including some household names such as Anne Fiske, the Kanstad Johnsen sisters, and Øyvind Torseter, as well as many young talents. This format is intriguing and accessible, encouraging contributions while providing enough space and freedom for raw creativity. All 100 Norwegian mini zines were exhibited at Grafill (Norwegian Organisation for Visual Communication) R21 in Oslo.