Another day sampling the the smorgasbord of artistic delights that is UNCONTAMINATED Oslo Fashion Art Festival. Which also, sadly, happened to be the final day. Insert uncontrollable sobbing here. But what better way to end than with a, well, high? The day began with the UNCONTAMINATED Talks series, where a roster of fashion and art talents from around the world – Lea Colombo, Charlie Engman, Amanda Charchian, Bob Recine and many more (including um, me) mulling over topics from the state of the art world to the future of the magazine. A cultural brain filling, if you will. But the main event of the day was the opening of The Collective, a new exhibition of works by seven emerging artists: Amanda Charchian, Arielle Chiara, Petra Collins, Lea Colombo, Charlie Engman, Isabel Martinez and Synchrodogs, artists who all have, at some point, straddled the worlds of both fashion and art photography. So, the highlights. 10 Magazine contributor Amanda Charchian’s selection from her intimate book of portraits, Pheremone Hotbox, where she photographed 27 female artists nude in vast landscapes across the world, Lea Colombo’s study of cane sugar farmers in South Africa, saturated in deep red light, and Charlie Engman’s frenetic collage, where he uses photography to mold and reshape realities. After being veritably stuffed to the brim with cultural activities, the day ended in the only way we know how – by getting drunk. Naturally the flight the next day was what you might describe as: a struggle.
A massive thanks to Hilde, Rita, Riccardo and The Thief Hotel for having us in Oslo! Stay tuned for interviews with Lea and Amanda – coming soon.
Photograph by Amanda Charchian
