More than eight thousand years ago, a vast underwater landslide off the coast of Møre cascaded into the Norwegian Sea, triggering a tsunami that swept across the northern shoreline. The waves travelled south through the North Sea and submerged large parts of Doggerland – the expansive landmass that once connected Britain to mainland Europe. Land became sea, and traces of human presence disappeared beneath the water.

Next year’s exhibition programme opens with a collaborative project by Gunvor Tangrand and Marianne Moe, whose point of departure is this very geological event, the “Storegga Slide.” The exhibition of the same title, however, looks beyond the dramatic incident in prehistoric time, examining how raw force and destruction can give rise to new and unexpected imaginaries. It opens a space for the fabulous and the possible, where the forces of nature emerge as reflections of human vulnerability and creative potential.

Like an echo rising from the depths, the image of Atlantis also appears – the legendary island nation described by Plato as a place of abundance and beauty, constructed in concentric rings of land and water radiating from a centre. There, Poseidon reigned, and humans lived surrounded by wealth and knowledge until hubris prevailed. In a single day and night, the island was swallowed by the sea. The myth reminds us that creation and ruin are closely intertwined, that nothing remains static, and that the boundaries between nature and culture, reality and imagination, are constantly shifting.

Doggerland and Atlantis complement one another as two sides of the same story – one real, the other mythical. Where the disappearance of Doggerland attests to the raw power of nature, Atlantis speaks to humanity’s longing for the boundless. Together they form a backdrop for our own time, an era in which the overexploitation of natural resources, the burning of fossil fuels, and melting ice put the planet into unstable motion. Where the sea once rose and consumed land, it rises again now – slowly but inexorably – reminding us that the Earth’s balance is never guaranteed.

Gunvor Tangrand (b. in Vikten, Lofoten) is a ceramic artist based in Stamsund. She holds a BA in ceramics from the Bergen Academy of Art and Design (2000), and since 2018 has operated Rokkvika Porselensfabrikk. Her artistic practice is rooted in ceramic traditions and form-making, ranging from functional objects to sculptural works that emerge as natural extensions of material exploration.

Tangrand held her first solo exhibition at Kunstforeningen in Svolvær in 2023. She has collaborated with Valrygg Arkitekter, leading to participation in design fairs and features in publications such as Room Magazine, Ark Journal, and Bonytt. In 2025 she will exhibit in the annual exhibition of Norske Kunsthåndverkere at Lillehammer Art Museum.

Marianne Moe (b. 1975, Herøy in Helgeland) lives and works in Bergen. She was educated in the textile department at the Bergen Academy of Art and Design, completing her MA in 2002. Moe’s practice is anchored in the textile field, and she works primarily with wool felt in various qualities. She is particularly known for large, monumental works with a strong material and spatial presence, often referencing landscapes and nature.

Moe has participated in numerous juried exhibitions and was awarded the Finn Erik Alsos Memorial Prize at the 2025 annual exhibition of Norske Kunsthåndverkere. She has held several solo exhibitions, and her works are included in the collections of the National Museum, the Oslo Municipal Art Collection, and KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes. She also works with public art, and delivered a major commission for Tønsberg Courthouse in 2025.