An Impatient Desire

“An Impatient Desire” is a large exhibition to celebrate this milestone. It has been curated by craft artist Nina Malterud, who has been actively involved in the organization’s development since its inception in 1975. Malterud has selected works from a period stretching from the 1970s up to the millennium, works that demonstrate the intense energy which characterizes this creative movement. 

In the wake of the “Artists’ Action-74” (Kunstneraksjon-74 in Norwegian), a collective uprising led to the founding of the Norwegian Association for Craft Artists. It was the organizing this new field of crafts that laid the foundations for the artistic exploration of the early years. Some of the exhibited pieces have not been displayed for a long time — some may have even been forgotten. Nevertheless, they have in their time played a significant role in the history of Norwegian crafts.  

By showing both artworks and archival material, the exhibition is an invitation to experience what crafts have been and how the pioneers of this era paved the way for where contemporary crafts stand today in Norway. 

In parallel with this anniversary exhibition, Lillehammer Art Museum will also be staging the “Norwegian Association for Craft Artists’ Annual Exhibition 2025”. Both exhibitions are a collaboration between Lillehammer Art Museum and the Norwegian Association for Craft Artists.