A monograph that serves as an excellent in-depth introduction to the art practice of Morten Viskum, exploring in particular how many of the most hotly debated ethical and existential questions of our time have played into his works. Introduced with essays by Demetrio Paparoni and Tone Lyngstad Nyaas, and with an interview by Jean Wainwright.

This book was published on the occasion of Morten Viskum’s first retrospective exhibition, held at Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, 2010. An extensive documentation of Viskum’s artistic career from 1993 to 2010.

This book is a presentation of the Morten Viskum Art Collection, as shown at Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium in 2013. The collection is constantly changing. At the time, the collection consisted of some 500 works by 200 artists, and is shown in its entirety in this publication.
 
The collection embraces renowned and unknown names, both Norwegian and international, and artworks in every conceivable artistic technique. The prime motivation for the book is not, however, to show a collection per se, but rather to create a total installation made up of the works of other artists. This act of appropriation can be seen as a testament to one artist’s fascination with art, and to his fascination with the concept of the ultimate artwork.

Viskum bought his first artwork in 1986, when he was 21 years old. He has collected art ever since. In the collection, as shown at the time, the audience could read the way his interests have shifted and his economic situation has altered.