SEBASTIAN RUSTEN
Heaps

3 April – 18 May 2025

Sebastian Rusten's artistic practice is centered around an exploration of the self, or the absence of a self, within the context of a more-than-human world. He utilizes materials he gathers from forests and fields, both intuitively and rooted in traditional craftsmanship techniques. He believes that natural materials hold the potential to form new relationships and an expanded understanding of the processes that shape the human being and the various roles the self can occupy.

The installation displayed at Format is part of a series of floor works titled "Heaps." The term is derived from the Buddhist concept of the five skandhas, which describe the five elements that constitute our idea of a self. These elements are matter or body, feelings, perception, mental structures, and consciousness. Sebastian uses "Heaps," one of the English translations of skandhas, as his title. In Norwegian, they may be referred to as piles, collections, or groupings. The five piles serve as the starting point for a meditation where the self is deconstructed in search of an essential self that is said not to exist.

In "Heaps 5," one of Sebastian's primary materials, the Christmas tree, is deconstructed and reassembled. Here, pine needles are crushed and laid out like a carpet on the floor, with timber placed on top. The wood is painted with a liquid extracted from pine needles, powdered pine needles, pulverized wood, and powdered charcoal.

Sebastian Rusten (b. 1986, Oslo) lives and works in Trondheim. He graduated with a Master's degree in medium- and material-based art from the Oslo Academy of Art in the spring of 2023, with a focus on textiles. He has also studied the craft technique of tægerbinding in a course with Signe Irene Berg and spent time in Juneau, Alaska, learning basket weaving using spruce roots and ravenstail weaving. Rusten has participated with works in Høstutstillingen 2023, Hovedøya Kunstsal (Oslo), and has previously exhibited at venues such as Leveld Kunstnartun (Ål in Hallingdal) and Oplandia Senter for Samtidskunst (Lillehammer).

The exhibition is supported by the Arts Council Norway.