Turning, 2021, wallpaper, dimensions variable

Frida Orupabo Turning

Focus, November 09, 2022 November 22, 2022

Norwegian Nigerian artist and sociologist Frida Orupabo creates analogue and digital collages and video installations from visual material circulating online. From photographs from the colonial era as well as from contemporary imagery, from ethnography, medicine and science to art and pop culture, Orupabo dissects representations of the Black, mostly female body as a means to negotiate themes of colonial violence, racism, sexuality, identity and belonging. In rearranging and newly reassembling the dissected fragments, Orupabo creates figures of resistance that challenge how and what we see in a present-day reality that remains permeated by colonialism.

In recent years, Orupabo's collages have expanded to sculptures, photographic prints of digital montages and here a wall paper of a woman opening a curtain while peering back titled Turning (2021).

Frida Orupabo was born 1986 in Sarpsborg, Norway, and lives and works in Oslo. Solo exhibitions include Fotomuseum Winterthur (2022); Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo (2021); Kunsthall Trondheim, Trondheim (2021); Huis Marseille, Amsterdam (2020); Portikus, Frankfurt am Main and Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo (both 2019). Orupabo participated in the 58th Venice Biennale exhibition (2018) as well as the 34th São Paulo Biennial (2021). Together with Ming Smith and Missylanyus, Frida Orupabo presented her work in Arthur Jafa’s exhibition "A Series of Utterly Improbable, Yet Extraordinary Renditions" at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Galerie Rudolfinum in Prague (both 2019), Julia Stoschek Collection, Berlin (2018), and Serpentine Sackler Gallery, London (2017).

Frida Orupabo’s first monograph was published by Sternberg Press on the occasion of her exhibition at Kunsthall Trondheim 2021. The book contains extensive documentation of her work and essays by Stefanie Hessler, Lola Olufemi, and Legacy Russell.

Her work is included in the collections of Tate, UK, Guggenheim Museum, USA, Studio Museum in Harlem, USA, Kadist Foundation, France / USA, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark, Museum Ludwig, Germany, Jumex Museum, Mexico, Kistefors Collection, Norway, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland, Moderna Museet, Sweden, Mumok, Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Austria, Nasjonalmuseet, Norway, Foundation ARCO, Spain, Perez Art Museum, USA, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Norway, Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Sweden, KIAMSA, Finland, Verbund Collection, Austria, 21C Hotel Museum, USA, A4 Arts Foundation, South Africa, Alexander Tutsek-Foundation, Germany, Dean Collection, USA, Museum Rietberg, Switzerland, Scheryn Collection, South Africa, Turku Art Museum, Finland, Zabludowicz Collection, UK / Finland, Marieuse Hessel Collection, USA.