Affirmation of Hammerhagen
1. The garden as a turning point
2. The garden as a phenomenon, both historical, ecological, functional and social
3. The garden as a place for alternative practices and cyclical processes
4. The garden as an outlet for long-term artistic exploration and dissemination
Hammerhagen is a temporary, artist-initiated arena for outdoor public art projects by young and newly established artists. The project uses the garden of Fosskok Samvirkelag and the surroundings around Mellom-Hammer gård in Lørenskog – a farmstead established in 2025 to strengthen cultural offerings in the local community. Fosskok is run by cultural workers in music, film, performing arts and visual arts, and functions as an open, local cultural arena. They organize concerts, festivals, offer music studios, work spaces for artists and now the sculpture park Hammerhagen.
Hammerhagen is run by the curatorial group Silje Kjørholt, Henrik Nordahl and Ole Petter Ribe. The group announces three residencies annually until 2028, open to artists, craftsmen, researchers, gardeners and interdisciplinary practitioners to develop site-specific projects for the art garden's program. This will be a social platform with an emphasis on participant-based and relational expressions, and thematizes the garden as a concept, production site and meeting place.
Hammerhagen contributes to strengthening the production and dissemination of contemporary art in public spaces outside of established institutions. The project gives artists the time, space and resources to develop site-specific works in close dialogue with a local community, and makes art accessible to a broad audience in everyday settings.
Hammerhagen is run by the curatorial group Silje Kjørholt, Henrik Nordahl and Ole Petter Ribe. The group announces three residencies annually until 2028, open to artists, craftsmen, researchers, gardeners and interdisciplinary practitioners to develop site-specific projects for the art garden's program. This will be a social platform with an emphasis on participant-based and relational expressions, and thematizes the garden as a concept, production site and meeting place.
Hammerhagen contributes to strengthening the production and dissemination of contemporary art in public spaces outside of established institutions. The project gives artists the time, space and resources to develop site-specific works in close dialogue with a local community, and makes art accessible to a broad audience in everyday settings.
Background
Since 2018, the municipality of Lørenskog has advertised Mellom-Hammer tunet as a priest's residence in exchange for the residents contributing to the art and cultural life in the municipality. In the winter of 2025, the cooperative Fosskok moved in, a group of 29 members associated with the art and culture field. They organize concerts, festivals, offer a music studio, work space for artists and now the sculpture park Hammerhagen.
The initiators behind Hammerhagen are members of Fosskok SA with a background in visual art. Henrik Nordahl, Silje Kjørholt and Ole Petter Ribe run Hammerhagen.
Hammerhagen opened on Saturday, August 30, 2025. 6 new works were presented here. In addition to the initiators, the invited artists Matias Frøysaa, Erle Saxegaard and Grete Riseng contributed their works.
Hammerhagen is intended as a counterpoint to a static sculpture park, and compares itself to collective and process-based projects such as Paviljong Våtmark around Østensjøvannet or Okulus Symposium at Harpefoss. Hammerhagen is intended to be a place for exploring different themes through workshops and events.
Since 2018, the municipality of Lørenskog has advertised Mellom-Hammer tunet as a priest's residence in exchange for the residents contributing to the art and cultural life in the municipality. In the winter of 2025, the cooperative Fosskok moved in, a group of 29 members associated with the art and culture field. They organize concerts, festivals, offer a music studio, work space for artists and now the sculpture park Hammerhagen.
The initiators behind Hammerhagen are members of Fosskok SA with a background in visual art. Henrik Nordahl, Silje Kjørholt and Ole Petter Ribe run Hammerhagen.
Hammerhagen opened on Saturday, August 30, 2025. 6 new works were presented here. In addition to the initiators, the invited artists Matias Frøysaa, Erle Saxegaard and Grete Riseng contributed their works.
Hammerhagen is intended as a counterpoint to a static sculpture park, and compares itself to collective and process-based projects such as Paviljong Våtmark around Østensjøvannet or Okulus Symposium at Harpefoss. Hammerhagen is intended to be a place for exploring different themes through workshops and events.
Henrik Nordahl
Silje Kjørholt
Ole Petter Riibe
Web design:Henrik Nordahl
Photo Credit: Giacomo Macrelli