Open Call: Where we meet – art in outdoor spaces: Vålandskogen
Stavanger municipality invites open prequalification before a closed sketch competition for the design of a temporary art project for Vålandsskogen in Stavanger.
Stavanger municipality is looking for artists and artist groups from all over the Nordics who see the potential in creating a temporary, site-specific art project in Vålandsskogen. The assignment is part of the art program Der vi møtes – art in uterom and will be completed by the end of 2026.
Vålandsskogen is a forest area close to the city with elder trees, vulnerable trees and a rich animal and plant life. Here we want an art project that meets the place with respect and curiosity – an artistic approach that explores the forest’s ecology, history, hidden spaces, temporality or the like. The artist or artist group must work with a high degree of sensitivity for the place. The forest as a theme is not unique in itself – neither in the present, historically nor in art. What makes Vålandsskogen special is its vulnerability and its function as a respite in the middle of the city. This gives room for a diversity of entrances and artistic perspectives and the opportunity to use the forest as material in one’s artistic practice.
We are particularly looking for artists with performative, relational or participant-based practices who can create experiences for the audience without leaving large physical traces. Temporary and immaterial artistic expressions – such as sound works and sound installations, performance, guided walks, relational or participant-based projects and other procedural formats – are considered particularly relevant.
The art project must be carried out either as a series of activities or events, or as a longer, continuous presence in the forest. The project must be publicly available (free of charge) and completed before the end of 2026. How this is practically solved is up to the chosen artist or artist group to define and be determined by the artistic concept.
About the prequalification
We invite professional artists and artist groups to participate in an open prequalification (open call) to register their interest and participation in the art commission. The art program’s art committee will then select and invite four artists to a closed, honorary sketch competition. In the later jurying, the art committee will choose one artist or group of artists as a starting point who will be commissioned to carry out the temporary art project in Vålandskogen.
Prequalification conditions
To ensure a level playing field regardless of written communication skills, you can tell us about your motivation for the project via text, sound or video in this announcement.
Artists or artist groups who wish to participate in the open prequalification must deliver:
Motivation: A short motivation, either as text/video/audio (max. 1/2 page or 1 minute) that describes your understanding of the assignment, approach and interest in the project.
CV with contact information
Pictures from previous projects that are relevant to the assignment and that demonstrate the ability to implement (maximum 4 projects possibly with links to videos/websites).
Material can be delivered in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish or English.
Formal requirements for submitting material
The application is sent as one combined file in PDF format.
Max 8 A4 pages.
Max file size: 10 MB.
If you wish to send in sound or video, this must be linked to in the PDF file.
File name of PDF: First Name_Last Name_Vålandsskogen.pdf.
How to submit
Mark the email with: Surname + Open prequalification Vålandskogen + SAK 2025/267438
Send to: postmottak@stavanger.kommune.no
The assessment criteria for the selection of artists and artist groups for the closed sketch competition are as follows (non-priority order):
Relevant competence and/or experience
Understanding the mission
The relevance of the artistry to the context
Deadline
The deadline for submitting relevant material for the prequalification is 30 October.
After prequalification – closed competition
Participants who are selected to take part in the closed competition receive a competition fee of NOK 40,000. The fee covers the preparation of a sketch proposal that shows how the temporary art project will unfold in Vålandsskogen. In addition, travel costs for the inspection on 21 November 2025 are covered.
After the sketch proposals have been judged and it has been chosen which project is to be realised, a contract is entered into between the municipality of Stavanger and the selected artist/artist group, where the artist acts as general contractor.
The financial framework for the production of the art project (the assignment being competed for) is NOK 300,000. The competition fee is added.
The selected artist or artist group must prepare a detailed budget and implementation plan for the assignment. Administration of the competition and follow-up of the production of the art project is done by the art consultants in collaboration with the art committee and project manager from Stavanger municipality.
Organization and jury
The art plan Where we meet – art in the outer room has been developed by the art consultants Koffi & Højgaard (Pauline Koffi Vandet and Ida Højgaard Thjømøe) in collaboration with the art committee. The plan was approved by Stavanger municipality’s art committee on 21.05.2025, and can be read in its entirety here .
The art committee has an advisory function and must discuss and evaluate the art projects in Der vi møtes – art i utreom in collaboration with the art consultants. The art committee also acts as a jury for the selection of artists for this assignment.
The jury consists of the following members from the art committee:
● Helga Nyman, conservator, Stavanger Art Museum
● Kristina Ketola Bore, senior curator, Kunsthall Stavanger
● Kristin von der Lippe, architect, Byutvikling, Stavanger municipality
● Martina Andersson, landscape architect, Stavanger municipality
● Camilla L. Hill, artisan, representative NKVN
● Mari Kolbeinson, artist, representative NBK-R
● Koffi & Højgaard, the art consultants
Project manager Marie Midttun Skretting from the cultural department in Stavanger municipality acts as the art committee’s secretary and does not have the right to vote in jury matters.
Contact
Contact the project manager for the art project Where we meet – art in the outer room, Marie Midttun Skretting at marie.midttun.skretting@stavanger.kommune.no, with the art consultants Pauline Koffi Vandet, mail@paulinekoffivandet.com and Ida Højgaard Thjømøe, ida@idahojgaard.com, on copy.
Temptations
01.09.25: Announcement of open prequalification
30.10.25: Deadline for submission of material for prequalification
11.11.25: Invitation to closed competition
21.11.25: Inspection with the artists/artist groups
12.02.26: Submission deadline, sketch for competition
February 2026: Present sketch proposal to art committee
March 2026 – by the end of 2026: Production and decommissioning
deadline: 30.10.25
more info (in Norwegian): https://www.stavanger.kommune.no/kultur-og-fritid/kultur/kunst-i-offentlige-rom2/utlysninger/der-vi-motes–kunst-i-uterom-apen-prekvalifisering-valandskogen/
