SWAB ART FAIR 2026

08th - 11th Oct

”Holding on to the weak is called strength.“ — Tao Te Ching, Chapter 52
In ancient Chinese philosophy, hard and soft, strength and weakness, are not fixed opposites locked in perpetual conflict. Rather, they are complementary aspects of a larger whole, constantly transforming into one another.

Ceramic and textile are two materials widely explored in contemporary art and craft. Through their physical properties, they are often associated with the hard and the soft respectively. Yet artists working with these materials frequently seek to move beyond such conventional distinctions, exploring qualities and sensations that challenge our expectations.

For this exhibition at the community-oriented art fair SWAB Barcelona, Northing has brought together Lydia SooJin Park, Daniella Bergschneider, Kiyoshi Yamamoto, and Kari Aasen, whose practices engage with one or both of these materials. Through sculpture, installation, and material experimentation, the artists either subvert the inherent properties traditionally associated with ceramic and textile or bring them into dialogue, creating new forms of balance and harmony.

The participation is kindly supported by oca norway and norwegian crafts through the ISGIES scheme.

Read the interview from Chart about how Northing is working to promote East Asian art in Norway (and vice versa),  how the gallery is attracting new audiences from Nordic institutions and how contemporary art can help to prevent identity crises amongst future generations.

Dive into the full conversation
here

Chen
Jinbin (CN)


Lin Zhipeng /
No.223 (CN)


Kiyoshi
Yamamoto (JP/BR) + Kari Aasen(NO)