Rv. 555 Sotrasambandet
100 cm x 75 cm
120 cm x 80 cm
118 x 74 cm
118 cm x74 cm
118 cm x74 cm
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5 x 30 cm x 42 cm 33cc cm x 42
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2x 78 cm x 52 cm
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2 x 30 cm x 40 cm
Paintings offer more than aesthetic experience; they tell us something about how nature has been perceived. You might think that Norwegians love their nature, but in the past five years alone, 44,000 natural sites in Norway have been altered for roads, housing, sports arenas, shopping centers, and aquaculture facilities. According to an NRK investigation, the country is losing 79 square meters of nature—every minute.
Throughout history, artists have been fascinated by nature , depicting it—soberly, sublimely, or magnificently. What is it about these landscapes that compelled such devotion?
The Rv. 555 Sotrasambandet painting series captures the dramatic transformation of Norway’s landscape through the construction of a 9.4-kilometer highway—4.6 kilometers of it through tunnels—connecting the oil and gas facilities at Kolltveit in Øygarden to Storavatnet in Bergen. Designed to accommodate industrial transport; oil, gass and a new port to receive minerals from deep sea mining. And a growing commuter population—including a planned coastal town of 10,000 residents—this project aims to reduce rush-hour travel by up to 20 minutes. It includes a new 900-meter, four-lane bridge with pedestrian and cycling lanes. With a total budget of NOK 23.1 billion (as of 2022), it stands as the largest single contract ever awarded by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.
Through a series of expressive paintings, Rv. 555 Sotrasambandet documents this massive infrastructure development. Visually striking and emotionally resonant, the works follow the phases of construction: earth torn open, mountains drilled and blasted, asphalt poured, bridges erected, stones hauled, and waters displaced—while nature attempts to recover. Plants and animals tentatively return, reclaiming fragments of their disrupted habitats.
60 cm x 30 cm