What role does folk costume play in today’s world? This exhibition at the National Museum in Oslo (18 June–18 May 2025) brings together examples of bunad, the traditional rural dress of Norway, with responses from six contemporary artists. The aim: to explore issues of identity and acceptance – both national and personal – that these garments raise for present-day Norwegians. A video work titled Láigečala (2023) by Márjá Karlsen explores the craft traditions of the Sámi people, while historic Norwegian headdresses are reimagined by the artist Rafiki in the beaded sculpture Alone Together, Like Pearls on a String (2023). Find out more on the National Museum’s website.
Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary
Alone Together, Like Pearls on a String (2023), Rafiki. Photo: Annar Bjørgli / Nasjonalmuseet
Subnational folk costume/ New Folk Music (2023), Christian Blandhoel. Photo: Annar Bjørgli; Nasjionalmuseet
Bunad Tattoo Shop (2023), Lin Wang. Photo: Annar Bjørgli/Nasjonalmuseet
Unlimited access from just $16 every 3 months
Subscribe to get unlimited and exclusive access to the top art stories, interviews and exhibition reviews.
Recommended for you
![Masterpiece [Re]discovery 2022. Photo: Ben Fisher Photography, courtesy of Masterpiece London](http://zephr.apollo-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MPL2022_4263.jpg)
What would Jane Austen say?