The Magic of Seven
A 7 channel video installation
Duration: 12 min loop
7 x 32-inch Flat screens mounted at eye-level, placed in a circle with a diameter of about 5 meters.
In addition an interactive salt sculpture reacting to the sound of the seven women singing in the video-installation.
In the seven-channel video installation Magic of Seven by the artist Gitte Sætre, we meet seven women from seven different continents.
In the first scene, we see them working in their respective kitchens. They carry out their daily routines, doing the dishes, cooking, cleaning, and caring for their families. At a certain point, in unison, they are overwhelmed by frustration and restlessness. They make up their minds and leave their homes to carry out the same care they perform in the domestic sphere into global politics.
In the next scenes, we encounter harsh images from different wars at various geographical locations on the different continents. You might think that the women are naïve and silly, but what we discover is the opposite. Their quest is sane and displays adult behavior.
Together, the seven women search for the strength to confront violence and destruction. They walk the journey and eventually gather at a beautiful lake in the woods. They find themselves in a collective healing action, and they intuitively start to sing and move in a certain manner—it seems like a peace ritual. Their visions and their internal calmness spread and leak into the world.
As the camera zooms up and away from the lake, an albino moose walks out from the woods and down among them. The moose starts to speak to the viewers about dimensions of reality and nuances of possibilities. The moose encourages change in realities and in dreams.
Foto: Adriana Alves
Magic of Seven A Multisensory Journey into Global Solidarity and Creative Resistance
Visual and Experiential Impact
Magic of Seven by Gitte Sætre is a powerful exploration of collective patterns, individual actions, and the interplay between care and conflict. This seven-channel video installation, accompanied by an interactive salt sculpture, immerses viewers in a circle of storytelling and visual poetry. The circular arrangement of screens envelops audiences in a multisensory experience, transforming them from passive observers into active participants. Through the rhythms of domestic care, the chaos of conflict, and the transformation into healing rituals, the installation fosters a profound connection to the themes of resilience, hope, and global solidarity. The salt sculpture, a glowing pink lamp, reacts to the voices of the women in the video, symbolizing how collective space generates strength. It reflects the possibility of standing united in shared language and experiences, creating a collective presence that underscores the power of togetherness.
Thematic Depth
At its core, Magic of Seven challenges societal norms, advocating for creativity, imagination, and participatory dialogue as essential tools for addressing global issues. The work proposes alternative solutions to conflict, emphasizing collective thought as a counterforce to the destructive logic of war. It highlights the physical, mental, and environmental toll of armed conflicts, urging a reimagining of how we approach challenges to sustainable living. Drawing on Max Weber’s concept of disenchantment, Sætre’s work seeks to re-enchant the rationalized Western world by emphasizing dreams, intrinsic values, and hidden connections—elements often overshadowed by predictability and pragmatism. The installation stands as both an artwork and a call to action, urging institutions and audiences alike to reflect on causality, interconnectedness, and the transformative potential of art.
Synchronicity and the Power of Ritual
Magic of Seven follows seven women from seven continents as they move from their kitchens to the broader world stage, carrying their domestic care practices into global politics. The women confront violence and destruction, culminating in a peace ritual by a lake, where their internal calmness begins to spread outward. The ritual resonates with synchronicity and healing, challenging the dominant narratives of violence and offering an alternative logic rooted in empathy and unity. As the camera zooms out, an albino moose emerges, delivering a poetic reflection on reality and possibility. This symbolic gesture invites viewers to imagine new dimensions of reality and embrace change, both in dreams and in action.
Commission and Discursive Context
Commissioned by Kunsthall 3,14 in Bergen, Magic of Seven premiered in 2016 alongside a robust discursive program designed to deepen engagement with its themes.
Highlights from the 3,14 LIVE Program:
Brian Drolet – Curiosity Won’t Kill Cats
Brian Drolet, Executive Director of Deep Dish TV, presented alternative approaches to video production and distribution, exploring how art, media, and activism intersect to advance democratic representation.
Frans Jacobi – Figurations of the Future: Active Time Revisited
Frans Jacobi, artist and professor of time-based media at Bergen Academy of Art and Design, discussed how performance and large-scale scenarios can address urgent political and societal issues. His work connects art with the aesthetics of resistance, fostering transformative spaces for critical discourse. These events created a platform for audiences to engage with contemporary artistic practices that confront pressing global challenges, positioning Magic of Seven as a catalyst for collective inquiry and creative resistance.
An Invitation to Institutions
Magic of Seven is more than an artwork—it is a call to action. By facilitating dialogue, fostering imagination, and offering alternative perspectives on conflict resolution, it provides institutions with a unique opportunity to engage their audiences in critical conversations about global solidarity, peace, and the transformative power of art. Institutions that showcase Magic of Seven invite their audiences to experience a poetic yet urgent narrative that redefines how we view care, conflict, and the possibilities of collective action. This work is a profound addition to any program that seeks to address the intersections of art, activism, and societal change.
The moouse was performed by Kiyoshi Yamamoto
VR presentation of the video-installation. Duration: 12 minutts.
Produced by Victor Pardinho. A critique of the work on P2 mona pahle bjerke while the artist is in her kitchen and her daughter is interrupting:-)
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I know you are out there. I can feel you now.
Let me tell you why you are here. You are here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain. You feel it, you felt it your entire life. There is something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it is there and it has splintered your mind. It is this feeling that brought you to me. When you stab the enemy, you’ve got to twist and slash, to cut open his guts. Otherwise, he’ll do it to you. That is the way the world is out there. That´s not all there is, though. I am only talking about the dark side of things. Victims of destruction have gone over to the world of the dead, you and I are still in the land of the living. There is a gap between us, but somehow we are connected. War is, on one hand, a flimsy illusion, a cheap echo swirling around like fragments of millions of souls becoming a system unto itself. On the other hand, it is the uttermost real thing that will tell you who you are. I am looking at everything that is going on, entirely without prejudice, like history or the weather. You are full of psychological contradictions and culture. What are you humans suppose to do? Something is devastating wrong with the world, alienated humans everywhere, guilty of not using their intelligence. A brain full of loneliness is no good. Here it’s different. It’s a communal lifestyle here in the woods, the women before you are exercising for a new order. When you’re in the rain, you’re a part of the rain. When you are in the forest, you become a seamless part of it. Now you are a part of us. One more thing, once you leave here, do not look back until you reach your destination. Synchronicity can happen at any time, so it’s a question of time, so when the times comes, you’ll already be used to it. There are seven fundamental types of catastrophes and seven wise masters. I didn’t come here to tell you, how this is going to end. I came here to tell you, how it is going to begin... |