Marianne Bjørnmyr lives and workes in Bodø, Norway. She received her MA in Photography from London College of Communication. Marianne’s work has previously been exhibited in internationally including MELK Gallery in Oslo, Unseen Photo Festival, Peckham24, Copenhagen Photo Festival and Reykjavik Museum of Photography. She has published the books An Authentic Relation, Beneath the Salt and Shadows/Echoes. Her work is held in public collections including The North Norwegian Art Museum and The Arctic University of Norway (KORO). Marianne is co-running NOUA in Bodø.
Through the project ‘Cupaloy’ I investigate on how we perceive, interpret and trust documented history. The project evolves around photography and representation, showing examples displaying dilemmas of archive, historical accounts, behaviour and chance. The work will display a vast archive of photographs that illustrate more than 200 events that ‘shaped history as we know it’ together with ‘events that never happened’. In 1903, a map was drawn up, suggesting that Israel should be founded in Uganda. This one example makes us think about how different the world would have been if the decision had been made. In using collected historical material as a starting point, I will re-categorise the material and find new links. Each photograph will be connected to each other by date, geography or theme, and presented as a non-linear time line showing the chain reactions of the events throughout time and all corners of the world. The work connects events related to failed experiments, cosmic investigations, extinct animals and misunderstood phenomena. Through the work the audience will become witnesses to how documented history could be different and at the same time become aware of the ways in which history repeat it self. Through re-photographing events that was never visually documented, I will show tales of history, power and desire.
