Artist talk: Cecilia Vicuña and Jannik Abel

On occasion of the opening of her new exhibition Minga for the Sea, Cecilia Vicuña joined for a conversation with Jannik Abel. Cecilia Vicuña is a Chilean poet, artist, activist, and filmmaker whose work addresses ecological destruction, human rights, and cultural erasure. Exiled since the 1970s, she co-founded Artists for Democracy in London. She coined “Arte Precario” (precarious art) for her ephemeral works made from debris, including her spatial quipus that reinvent an ancient Andean knot-based system. Blending art, poetry, and ritual, her practice fosters awareness of interconnectedness. Vicuña has exhibited at major institutions worldwide, including Tate Modern and the Guggenheim, and participated in documenta 14 and the Venice Biennale. She has published over 30 books and received the 2022 Golden Lion at the Venice Biennial and Chile’s 2023 National Visual Arts Award. Jannik Abel (b. 1973, Oslo) attended the San Francisco Art Institute in the 1990s and has exhibited in numerous institutions and public spaces both nationally and internationally. The artist grew up surrounded by art, as Abel's great-great-grandparents established Norway’s first art dealership in 1864, which was run by the family for generations. Themes such as belonging, vulnerability, heritage, and impermanence are central to Abel's artistic practice. Since the 1990s, the artist has worked with installation, photography, film, and performance. In 2016, Abel transformed the artistic process into a completely environmentally friendly production method that generates no waste. Read more about the exhibition Minga for the Sea: https://kunstnerneshus.no/en/program/... © Kunstnernes Hus, 2026 Main image: Studio Abrakadabra