“Nordic Textile Takeover: Cold Stitch” at Scandinavia House, New York, Sep 4.-16., 2026

The third iteration of TEXTILE TAKEOVER at Scandinavia House, New York, in partnership with New York Textile Month, is an exhibition, workshop series, and symposium highlighting contemporary Nordic Textiles, coinciding with NY Textile Month in New York City. The Cold Stitch is a Nordic textile collaboration project co-curated by Ragna Froda (ISL/US), Director of New York Textile Month.

Exhibiting artists: Margrethe Aanestad, Valgerdur Bergsdottir, Ellen Dynebrynk, Ragna Froda, Heidi Hankaniemi, Ingunn Fjóla, IngÞórsdóttir, Lee Jensen, Andrea Magdalena Jonsdottir, John Raustein, Randi Samsonsen, Sunna Sigfridardottir, Nora Martine Hjelle Strand, Thorunn Elisabet Sveinsdottir, Josabet Green Werkmeister, Mette Winkelmann, Kiyoshi Yamamoto.

Triptych in Night Blue, Pale Ochre and Ashes of Roses, 2026
Satin, stretchers, 46x97 cm / 18×38 in
Photo: KC Maddux

 

Future Fair 2026, with Dimensions Variable (Miami) // New York Art Week May 13.-16

 
 

Future Fair is happening again during New York Art Week 2026 and I am participating with the Miami-based Dimensions Variable: Margrethe Aanestad, Marcos Valella, Leyden Rodríguez-Casanova, Felice Grodin, Alfredo Travieso, Salua Ares, Moira Holohan, Claudia Vieira, Nicole Burko, Karla Kantorovich, Anna Biondo, Karen Starosta-Gilinski, and Javier Barrera. Come visit us in booth F1! https://www.futurefairs.com
Address: Chelsea Industrial 535 W 28th St. Booth F1.

Untitled, 2024, Acrylic on Japanese Awagami paper mounted on primed cotton canvas, 12×9x0.6 in, 30x23x1,5 cm
Photo: KC Maddux

"The December Edition" (G), BAMart, Larchmont, NY, Dec., 2025 -Jan., 2026

BAMart’s Final Art Installation of 2025, The December Edition - this show Upstate NY brings together works across painting, photography, works on paper, sculpture, and textiles. Curated by Brooke Molinaroli and Fiona Farell. Ingeborg Kvame, Solveig Landa and myself are included with several works from our ongoing collaborative large scale monotype serie called “Eit Skim / A Shimmer”. Click here to read more.
Photo: Erik S. Jørgensen

Eit Skim / A Shimmer III & IV, 2025, from monotype serie I-IV, 2025
”aa-k-l”: Margrethe Aanestad, Ingeborg Kvame, Solveig Landa
h: 150 cm x w: 118 cm / 60” x 47”

"Kunst på Stavanger universitetssjukehus Ullandhaug", lansering 8. november 2025

Lansering av boken “Kunst på Stavanger universitetssjukehus Ullandhaug” på Sølvberget kulturhus i Stavanger, som en del av åpningen av kunstamlingen på Nye SUS.

KORO (Kunst i offentlig rom) er kuratorisk ansvarlig og produsent, og med det nye sykehuset blir SUS sin kunstsamling utvidet med et stort antall verk av norske samtidskunstnere.

Tekster i boken av Merete Hermansen Jonvik, Marte Danielsen Jølbo, Sofie Bakke Ringstad.

Redaktør er Sofie B. Ringstad, øvrige bidragsytere er Marte Danielsen Jølbo og Merete Jonvik.

Utgitt av KORO - Kunst i offentlige rom og Helse Stavanger HF.

Design: Marte Meling Enoksen.
Foto: Thor Brødreskift

"67 nye vennar" - essay av Merete Jonvik i Contemporary Art Stavanger, 6. nov., 2025

I disse dager lanseres boken Kunst på Stavanger Universitetssjukehus Ullandhaug. Utgivelsen fra KORO – Kunst i offentlige rom og Helse Stavanger HF belyser kunstsamlingen og -prosjektene som er bakt inn i det nye sykehuset. I den forbindelse gjengis førsteamanuensis i sosiologi Merete Jonvik sin tekst fra boka. Med utgangspunkt i hennes forskerinteresse møtet mellom kunst og offentlighet, spør Jonvik: Hvilke roller spiller kunst på sykehus? Og kan kunst være terapi?

Published on Nov 5., 2025.
Click here to read the essay (in Norwegian).

Interview with Heather Jones for Contemporary Art Stavanger, published in conjunction with the 25th anniversary exhibiton of Scandinavia House in New York

Photo: Skylar Searing / @bfa.com

"The Will of the Material: Margrethe Aanestad on her new commission for Scandinavia House" - a conversation with Heather Jones in CAS - Contemporary Art Stavanger.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Scandinavia House in New York, Stavanger-based artist Margrethe Aanestad was invited to create a new sculpture for the exhibition A Time for Everything: 25 Years of Contemporary Art. The resulting work, titled Afterlight – In Wake of Time, is Aanestad’s largest sculpture to date and stands along artworks by other Scandinavian artists such as Torbjørn Rødland, Irene Nordli, Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Cecilia Edefalk, Britta Marakatt-Labba, Jeppe Hein and Jan Groth, among many others. Read on to discover how the artist approached this new commission.
Published on Oct 22. 2025.
Click here to read the full interview.

"A Time for Everything", 25 Years of Contemporary Art at Scandinavia House, New York

New book published in conjunction with the opening of the anniversary exhibition “A Time for Everything” at Scandinavia House in New York October 16., 2025.

The exhibition marks 25 years anniversary of Scandinavia House, The Nordic Center in America, which is the leading center for Nordic culture in the United States.

The exhibition and publication has been organized by American-Scandinavian Foundation, and curated by Emily Stoddart, Manager of Exhibitions at Scandinavia House. With Eve O´Shea, Curatorial Associate.

Exhibition graphic design: Hildablue Design.

Oct 18., 2025 at Scandinavia House: Artist and curator talk with Margrethe Aanestad, Ole Brodersen, Karin Hellandsjø, Simen Johan and Emily Stoddart

Please join us Sat Oct 18. at 3pm for an artist and curator discussion as part of the opening programs for A Time for Everything: 25 Years of Contemporary Art at Scandinavia House. Norwegian artists Margrethe Aanestad, Ole Brodersen, and Simen Johan join curator and art historian Karin Hellandsjø, and the exhibition’s curator Emily Stoddart, to discuss the artists and artwork featured in the current exhibition, share their own experiences working, exhibiting — and, in some cases, living — in New York, and reflect on the current relationship between New York and the Nordic region’s artist community-at-large.

"A Time for Everything", Scandinavia House, New York, Oct 18., 2025 - Feb 14., 2026

 
 

An exhibition celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Scandinavia House underscores its history in exchanging Nordic and American voices across the contemporary artistic landscape, and promoting the exchange of ideas and culture between the United States and Nordic region. Borrowing from the title of the seminal 2004 book by Karl Ove Knausgård, A Time for Everything presents a diverse range of work in a variety of media by celebrated Nordic artists. The exhibition has been organized by American-Scandinavian Foundation, and curated by Emily Stoddart, Manager of Exhibitions at Scandinavia House. With Eve O´Shea, Curatorial Associate.

Torbjørn Rødland (NO), Jesper Just (DK), Simen Johan (NO), Marianne Huotari (FI), Irene Nordli (NO), Louisa Matthiasdottir (IC), Eija-Liisa Ahtila (FI), Hildur, Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson (IC), Margrethe Aanestad (NO), Shoplifter / Hrafnhildur Arnasdóttir (IC), Britta Marakatt-Labba (Sapmi/SE), The Icelandic Love Corporation (IC), Þórdís Aðalsteinsdóttir  (IC), Cecilia Edefak (SE), Randi Samsonsen (FO), Ole Brodersen (NO), Pekka & Teija Isorättyä (FI), Katrin Sigurdadóttir (IC), Mamma Andersson (SE), Sara-Vide Ericson (SE), Jeppe Hein (DK), Jan Groth (NO), Olav Christopher Jenssen (NO), Outi Pieski (Sapmi/FI), John Savio (Sapmi/NO), Esko Männikkö (FI), Olof Marsja (Sampi/SW), Susanne Wellm (DK).
For more info click here: Scandinavia House

Organized by The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF). Major support has been provided by the Monika and Charles Heimbold Fund for Exhibitions and Programs. Additional support has been provided by the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.

"Unknown Entry Point", Romi Studio / Bellslip Gallery, Brooklyn, NY / July 3.-Aug 30., 2025

The group exhibition “Unknown Entry Point” opens at The Bellslip Gallery, 1 Bell Slip, Brooklyn, NY 11222, with a reception on July 3, from 6 to 9 pm. Curated by Romina Jimenez Alvarez (NY), the exhibition brings together seven multidisciplinary artists—each navigating the unstable threshold between physical, digital, and conceptual space. Margrethe Aanestad, Maria-Garcia Donosco, Felipe Fredes, Natsumi Goldfish, Katie Hubbell, Kelly Olshan, and Paul Tucci challenge the porous categories that define painting, sculpture, and experience in contemporary art. On view from July 3 to August 31, 2025.

“Textile Takeover” at Scandinavia House, New York, Sep 14.-15., 2024

I am participating in the group exhibition TEXTILE TAKEOVER at Scandinavia House gallery Sep. 14.-15. The exhibition is curated by Ragna Froda (ISL/US).

TEXTILE TAKEOVER is a weekend exhibition, symposium, and workshop serie in partnership with New York Textile Month, highlighting contemporary Nordic artists.

TEXTILE TAKEOVER is a Nordic textile collaboration project initiated by Ragna Froda (ISL/US), Director of New York Textile Month, Evelina Hedin (SWE), international coordinator at Konsthantverkscentrum, and Emily Stoddart (CA), manager of exhibitions and community programs at Scandinavia House, New York.
Photo: KC Crow Maddux

"Krystallklart Lys / Crystal Clear Light II", Sandefjord Kunstforening, Norway, Feb 10. - March 10., 2024

Krystallklart lys II åpner utstillingsåret 2024 ved Sandefjord Kunstforening, og er en duo-utstilling med Margrethe Aanestad og Siv Bugge Vatne. Kurator er Arnhild Sunnanå. Krystallklart lys er planlagt som en serie utstillinger ved ulike visningssteder både nasjonalt og internasjonalt, og første versjon ble vist i 2023 ved Dimensions Variable i Miami, Florida. Utstillingen for 2024 i Sandefjord kunstforening vil inkludere flere nye verks som vises for første gang i Norge. Åpning 10. februar kl 14.00.

Krystallklart lys II / Crystal Clear Light II is a duo-exhibition between Margrethe Aanestad (NO) and Siv Bugge Vatne (NO), curated by Arnhild Sunnanå (NO). The exhibition is part of a serie taking place at selected art galleries nationally and internationally. The first edition were on view at Dimensions Variable in Miami, FL, July - Oct 2023. The exhibition at Sandefjord Kunstforening starts the 2024-program, and will include several new works.

Supported by Norske billedkunstneres vederlagsfond and Stavanger kommune, Norway

Foto: Siv Bugge Vatne

Foundations Winter 2024 - online fair on Artsy, solo presentation by Yi Gallery, Jan-Feb 2024

Solo presentation by Yi gallery, NYC, at the online art fair Foundations on Artsy, Jan 23.- Feb 12., 2024.

For this invitation-only fair on the leading platform Artsy, Yi gallery is participatig with a solo presentation by gallery artist Margrethe Aanestad. Click here to see the presentation.

Available exclusively online on Artsy.net, the fair highlights international galleries that support emerging artists. 

"Looking North: Karian Amaya, Margrethe Aanestad, Shane Charles" in Zero Thought to Z, NYC

Stephen Gambello writes; A long overdue article about the wonderful and transformative show at Yi Gallery this past Spring.

“The North Light is constant, never changing its direction. In that constant light, there is the shining sun’s circular shape, offering its cyclical manifest. In this exhibit, LOOKING NORTH,  three artists from diverse backgrounds come together and look north to an open future, an unknown realm of possibilities.” Click here to read the full review.

Scandinavia House, New York: "Narrative Threads", opening Oct 14., 2023

Narrative Threads: Works by Eight Nordic Artists
October 14., 2023 - February 17., 2024
at Scandinavia House - The Nordic Center in America in Manhattan, New York
Curated by Emily Stoddart

Margrethe Aanestad (Norway), Hrafnhildur Arnadóttir / Shoplifter (Iceland), Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson (Iceland), Hildur Bjarnadóttir (Iceland), Astrid Krogh (Denmark), Heidi Hankaniemi (Finland), Marianne Huotari (Finland), Kristina Riska (Finland).
Narrative Threads - Works by Eight Nordic Artists presents multi-media artwork by Nordic artists, each distinguished by their innovative use of natural, synthetic and digital materials, that explore Nordic craft traditions through a contemporary lens. Works in the exhibition engage with material experimentation and digital technology, as textile design, ceramics, stitching, painting, audio recording and assemblage unleash diverse narrative expressions and perspectives.
Click here to read more.

 

The Art of Landing (or Leaving), 2021 / Photo: Devyn Nunes

 

"Krystallklart Lys / Crystal Clear Light" - Margrethe Aanestad & Siv Bugge Vatne, Dimensions Variable, Miami, FL, Opening reception July 29., 2023

Very happy to share!

Dimensions Variable (DV), Miami, FL, presents a two-person exhibition titled Crystal Clear Light, curated by Arnhild Sunnanå (NO), and features the work of Margrethe Aanestad (NO) and Siv Bugge Vatne (NO).

The exhibition opens on July 29, 2023, 6—9 pm in the Main Gallery and runs through September 2023. Talk starte at 5pm.
dimensionsvariable.net

Supported by Stavanger City Municipality, Rogaland County Municipality and OCA
(Office of Contemporary Art, Norway).