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The Art World in Focus
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Bjarne Melgaard

BJARNE MELGAARD

Lion Sluts Patricia Low Contemporary 11 February–15 March 2025 Gstaad
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Bjarne Melgaard’s exhibition Lion Sluts embraces the profane, though it stands alone as a solo show. His paintings are created intuitively, channeling his innermost feelings. These paintings follow an arduous public court case, with the paintings providing a space for the artist to express his darker feelings and visualise the sense of chaos that has driven his legal battles. His subsequent debt is a recurring presence in these new works, as a mountain to be conquered or a frenetic mass of words that surround his main characters. His works are painted in vibrant strokes of colour, which could be read as either joyful or frenzied. Cartoon figures are depicted in thick black lines, often taking the form of animals, which the artist sees as spiritual guides from his own imagination. Scratchy marks and dynamic loops of paint that cut through these, suggestive of a more immediate emotional release. These works reflect upon existential pain, drawing the viewer into an in-between space amongst Melgaard’s rich layers that variously promises solace, escape, or emancipation.

Bjarne Melgaard (b. 1967) is a Norwegian artist who is currently based in Oslo. He first developed his neo-expressionistic, gestural style of painting in the mid-1990s, often addressing marginal and subcultural phenomena to raise provocative and critical questions about society. He explores the darker side of humanity, such as self-destructive tendencies, deviant sexuality or fringe religious beliefs, pushing the boundaries of acceptability in order to probe social, political and ideological issues. He represented Norway at the 54th Venice Biennale. His work has been exhibited in institutions and galleries around the world, including the Astrup Fearnley Museum, the Julia Stoschek Foundation and the Munch Museum.

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About the Artist

Born in 1967 in Sydney, Australia, Bjarne Melgaard is a Norwegian artist living and working in New York. He received his formal art training at the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts, and the Rijksacademie and Jan Van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands where he completed his studies in 1993. His work has been featured at museums including De Appel, Bergen Kunstmuseum, Galleria d’Arte Moderna Bologna, and Kiasma Helsinki, as well as the 5th Lyon, 24th Sao Paolo, and Manifesta II Biennales. Redefining the notion of authorship, Melgaard’s

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Also Exhibiting at Patricia Low Contemporary

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Daniel Crews-Chubb
DANIEL CREWS-CHUBB The Belt of Venus Patricia Low Contemporary 6 May–15 August 2026 Venezia
About the Gallery

Established in Gstaad, Switzerland in 2005, Patricia Low Contemporary is one of the main destinations for contemporary art in the famed Alpine resort. With 20 years of exhibition practice and having held around 100 shows in Gstaad (the shows in Geneva and St. Moritz outposts not included), Patricia Low has been central to putting it on the contemporary art map.

The focus is primarily on introducing the most prominent international artists to our audience, with an emphasis on the legacies of Neue Wilde, Contemporary German Painting, Young British Art, Contemporary Photography, Post-Feminism, and Pop as well as putting together historic exhibitions featuring works from the secondary market.

Patricia Low has built strong relationships with the international artists she represents or has invited to show in the Swiss Alps, among them established practitioners like Jonathan Meese, Katharina Sieverding, Herbert Brandl, Peter Halley and Gilbert & George as well as rising artists like Richard Kennedy, Anouk Lamm Anouk and Brian Rochefort.

On April 1st, 2023, Patricia Low Venezia has opened its doors on Canale Grande with a solo exhibition by L.A. based artist Amy Bessone.
Ideally situated in Dorsoduro, Venice’s museum quartier, the XVI century palazzo is adjacent to Ca Rezzonico and directly across Palazzo Grassi. Becoming part of the fabric of this city feels like a privilege to Patricia and opens a new chapter for her gallery.

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Address
Promenade 55
Gstaad
Switzerland
Opening Hours
Tuesday–Thursday: 1pm–6.30pm
Friday, Saturday: 10am–7.30pm
Sunday: 3pm–6.30pm
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Gstaad Promenade 55
Patricia Low Contemporary contemporary art gallery in Gstaad Switzerland
Patricia Low Contemporary
Promenade 55, Gstaad, Switzerland
http://www.patricialow.com

Opening hours
Tuesday–Thursday: 1pm–6.30pm
Friday, Saturday: 10am–7.30pm
Sunday: 3pm–6.30pm
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