Carl Abrahamsson: Edda: Intellectual Party Swedes

There is a new term for young Swedes working in Norway: "Party Swedes". It basically means that you're young, Swedish, work hard in Norway and spend all the money on partying. After Edda HQ went to Oslo this past weekend, there is now an extension of this: "Intellectual Party Swedes". It means that you come to Oslo to work hard with cultural events and then spend all the money on books. La vida loca!

The first event to re-establish the intellectual viking trail this time around was the opening of Edda's own Fredrik Söderberg's exhibition at Galleri Riis. Jag är den som begraver gudar i guld och ädelstenar (I am he who buries gods in gold and jewels) is a phenomenal exhibition. So phenomenal in fact that Edda at the same time released a book called Haus C G Jung together with Galleri Riis to celebrate it. More info about this book can be found at Edda's web site.

The exhibition is a magical trip through the psyche of Carl Jung, complete with both the Küsnacht and Bollingen façades, mandalas, a majestic portrait of Jung and much more. As always with Fredrik's stuff, it's multifaceted, psychedelic and totally über-rich in possible interpretations. If you have the chance, see the exhibition. If not, make sure you get a copy of the book soon – it's selling well and quickly.

Fredrik Söderberg (to the right)

The evening began with an artist's talk, in which Fredrik discussed his point of view, Carl Jung, Rudolf Steiner and many other interesting people and things together with myself and Swedish radio ace Eric Schüldt.

The later part of the opening evening included a wonderful concert by Fredrik, Christine Ödlund and Andreas Kalliaridis. They were squeezing their Indian Organs sensually and made soothing and cosmic drone music together. Wonderful people present and really good times!

Great artist Sverre Malling and Kjettersk Kjeller's Didrik Søderlind.

Evening number two meant an Edda evening at Oslo's most delightful bookstore and place in general: Cappelen's Forslag (Bernt Ankers gate 4). It was the official launch of my novel Mother, Have A Safe Trip (more on this in coming blog posts, rest assured...), and hosted by club/concept/think tank/etc Kjettersk Kjeller's own Didrik Søderlind. A lot of people stirred up a great energy. To be the center of attention in a wonderful environment like Cappelen's Forslag felt great indeed. Didrik moderated a chat between Fredrik and me about our most recent releases. It felt like a pleasant flashback, as we did more or less exactly the same thing more or less exactly one year ago. Very nice though.

Edda HQ on the road... Proud Intellectual Party Swedes!

And we didn't even have time to finish off properly before it was time to move on to the next attraction... We drifted into the Sound of MU (the venue, not the state of mind), where Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor fame talked about music and magic. And then exactly that happened: Finnish prime primalists Arktau Eos performed at the little venue and transported everyone back to primordial times with their ritualistic droneanza. Amazingly archaic and alluringly alchemic aural adaptions of oscillating oceans osmosically oozing of oneiric orgasms, to say the least.

I was knocked out by their brilliance at the celebrated Equinox festival in London in 2009, so this was a most welcome new injection. Where were we now? At a small club in Oslo's "bohemian" area (which basically means young people screaming on the sidewalk, plastered) but at the same time/space in some Finnish forest or cave a couple of hundred thousand years ago. Brutal! Powerful! Magical... Sisu for fucking ever!

Arktau Eos – Sisu-drenched and primal!

After a good night's sleep (well needed), we then finished off by taking in the majestic Munch 150 retrospective at Nasjonalmuseet. An incredibly great show displaying Munch's very finest paintings, printed works, a recreation of his legendary Berlin exhibit from 1902, sketches etc. Almost too much to take in. That Edvard Munch is one of the originators (unwilling, I'm sure) of Black Metal became very apparent as one drifted through his estheticized morose angst in these jam packed halls (400.000 people have attended this exhibition... I wonder which Swedish artist could draw that kind of number in Sweden?). Very impressive stuff. Many thanks to project manager Rikke Lundgren, who showed us around this very stressed and very last weekend of the massive Munchorama.

Edvard Munch and the Norwegian franchise trolls: ingredients of the true Black Metal psyche.

Then we had simply had enough of Oslo. It's a great place but so expensive that even if you make money you're bound to lose it all on something as trivial as taxi trips, eating or having a beer. To be an Intellectual Party Swede in Norway, you have to come well prepared financially. And if you do, you know you have to go to Cappelen's Forslag and spend all the money you brought. You'll regret it for a short while but you probably won't regret it later (sweet compensation).

Norway, mighty land of wealthy vikings! Thanks for being such great Edda-friends!