Grinding (2019) Photo: Romy Finke, Van Eyck.
Pine, urethan, bite guard in glass with mouth water, angle grinder, journal, carpet tiles
Sculpture in four parts, size varies
Anna Ihle (f.1984) Stavanger) has in recent years made works of art that explore the meaning of labour in our times. In 2015, Anna Ihle decided to model her lifestyle as an artist on the standard Norwegian working week of 37.5 hours. This is a radical departure from the inherent desire (or compulsion) that artists conventionally experience to be continually at work, and to regard this as their wellspring of happiness regardless of income or social status.
Anna Ihle wanted to avoid being a subject of research by management experts and sociologists into the artist’s inherent drive and the pleasure to be obtained from it, or into how this knowledge could be turned to the advantage of industrial employers so that the wage slaves will happily return each day to resume their labours.
Ihle has studied at Konstfack in Stockholm, Sweden and at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India. Her works have been shown at Konsthall C, Uppsala Konstmuseum, Art Lab Gnesta, Spriten Kunsthall, RAM Galleri, Trøndelag Senter for Samtidskunst, Kunstgarasjen and Fotogalleriet. Ihle has been chosen as ‘Stavanger Artist of the year 2018’ and has been been a participant at the Van Eyck Institute in Maastricht 2018-2019.