About Kjell Bjørgeengen

*1951

Kjell Bjørgeengen's art is an investigation of reality, a reality that needs to be transformed both artistically and politically.

Bjørgeengen began working with video at the Experimental Television Center in Owego, New York, a pioneering institution known for developing new video technologies for artists, based on the innovations of Nam June Paik and David Jones. Bjørgeengen now uses a prototype of Dave Jones' VideoSynth in both live and studio situations.

He is widely recognized for his large-scale video installations and live performances that explore the intersections of sound and image, featuring audio-generated video and video-generated sound.

Over the years, he has collaborated with a wide range of musicians, including Svein Finnerud Trio, Jon Balke, Joëlle Léandre, Okkyung Lee, Uchihashi Kazuhisa, Otomo Yoshihide, Jin Hi Kim, MIMEO, Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, Aernoudt Jacobs, Streifenjunko, MURAL, Lasse Marhaug, Marc Ribot, Toshimaru Nakamura, Thomas Lehn, Aimée Theriot, Ingar Zach, Chris Cogburn, Juan García, Iván Naranjo, Inga Margrete Aas, John Tilbury, Keith Rowe, and, currently, Andrea Giordano.

The live works ofte feature the production of flicker videos. The flicker is sound given video sync, thus becoming video and revealing the self-identity of the two. The flicker image is perhaps the most simple and fundamental image we can think of, the oscillation between shades of light and darkness, given from the outside as a simple binary pairing of the visual experience. The flicker videos came about as a counteraction to an easy intellectual approach to art viewing.

The flicker works can be harsh to watch, as they are perceived on a physical level. The black and white works are often perceived in colours. There is a threshold that needs to be overcome. A still image from the video reads like a minimal work; set in motion the work turns into its opposite. The art work, having all the traditional marks of the art-making process, turns into a phenomenon and touches the demarcation line between art and non-art.

Education: Sociology, psychology & philosophy, University of Oslo 1974 — 1977

Professor in electronic media at the Art Academy of Fine Arts Oslo 1996 — 2002

Live Video & Music Performances

Kjell Bjørgeengen with Orgone Perussion Ensemble, Les Atelier de Bitche, Nantes 2025
Fear of the object, with Ingar Zach, Aimée Theriot, Echoraum/Velak, Wien 2025
Fear of the object, with Ingar Zach, Aimée Theriot, KM 28, Berlin 2025,
Fear of the object, with Ingar Zach, Aimée Theriot, Inga Margrete Aas, Bomuldsfabriken Arendal 2025
Fear of the object, with Ingar Zach, Aimée Theriot, Inga Margrete Aas, Andrea Giordano, NITJA center for contemporary art, Lillestrøm 2025
Fear of the object, with Ingar Zach, Chris Cogburn, The Rosette, Austin 2025
Fear of the object, Loma Editions at the Cube, San Antonio 2025
Fear of the object, New Media Contemporary, Dallas 2025
Fear of the object, Experimental Mediations at Black Sparrow, Taylor 2025
Fear of the object, They,Who Sound at Lawndale, Houston 2025
Kjell Bjørgeengen solo, Moving Ålesund 2025
Toshimaru Nakamura, Suzueri & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Koen-dori Classics, Tokyo, 2024
Kazuo Imai, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Koen-Dori Classics,Tokyo 2024
Jan Martin Gismervik, Inga Margrete Aas, & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Boksen, Oslo 2024
Andrea Giordano & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Surnadal Billag. Surnadal 2024
Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Blow out Cafe Hærverk, Oslo 2024
Eye hear 25 ears, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Bulldozer, Østre, Bergen 2024
Eye hear 25 ears, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Nonfigurativ musikk, Galleri Galleberg, Tønsberg 2024
Eye hear 25 ears, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, The Dream that Kicks, Cinemateket, Oslo 2024
Eye hear 25 ears, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Cave 12, Geneve 2024
Eye hear 25 ears, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, "Geografie del suono" @ L'Asilo, Napoli 2024
Eye hear 25 ears, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Cafe de Paris 2024
Eye hear 25 ears, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, La Psalette-Apo33, Nantes 2024
Thomas Lehn, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Alte Schmiede, Kunstverien Wien 2024
Uchihashi Kazuhisa & Kjell Bjørgeengen, KM28, Berlin 2024
Kaffe Matthews, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, KM28, Berlin 2024
Eye hear 25 ears, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Cafe Oto, London 2024
Fear of the Object, with Aimée Theriot, Inga Margrete Aas, Ingar Zach, and Audun Strype, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo 2023
Fear of the Object, with Iván Naranjo and Chris Cogburn, Casa del Lago, Mexico City 2023
Fear of the Object, with Iván Naranjo, Chris Cogburn, Xavier Fausto, Leonardo Chavez, and Maria GC Goded, 316Centro, Mexico City 2023
Fear of the Object, with T30 and h)3ar~, San Miguel de Allende 2023
Duo with Toshimaru Nakamura, Forestlimit, Hatagaya, Tokyo 2023
Duo with Toshimaru Nakamura, Botany Sour/Bonus Track, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo 2023
Duo with Toshimaru Nakamura, Ftarri, Suidobashi, Tokyo 2023
Fear of the object, with Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Iván Naranjo, Vernacular Insitute, Mexico City 2022
Fear of the object, Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Iván Naranjo in Diego River's studio,
Anahucalli Museum, Mexico City 2022
Fear of the object, with Jim Denley, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Iván Naranjo in Mauricio Rocha' new wing at Anahucalli Musuem Mexico City 2022
Fear of the object, with Jim Denley Juan Garcia, 316 Centro Mexico City 2022
Fear of the object, with Jim Denley, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Iván Naranjo in Mauricio Rocha' new wing at Anahucalli Musuem Mexico City 2022
Fear of the object, with Jim Denley Juan Garcia, 316 Centro Mexico City 2022
Trio with Espen Reinertsen, Inga Margrete Aas, Dans for voksne, Kafe Hærverk Oslo 2022
Trio with Espen Reinertsen, Inga Margrete Aas, Møllebyen litteraturfestival,
House of Foundation Moss, Moss 2022
Inga Margrete Aas & Kjell Bjørgeengen, House of Foundation Moss 2021
OptoSonic [UnLock] (BYOTea), NowNet Arts and Parrish Art Museum NYC 2020
Inga Margrete Aas, Martin Taxt, Kjell Bjørgeengen NMH 2019
«Failure for the left hand», Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Non Figurativ Musikk,
Galleri Galleberg 2019
Fear of the object, Judith Hamann, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen, Diego Rivera
Anahuacalli Museum, Mexico City 2019
Fear of the object, Judith Hamann, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen
h)3ar Sessions, Taller 30, San Miguel de Allende 2019
Fear of the object, Chris Cogburn & Kjell Bjørgeengen, The Mustard Zone, Denton 2019
Fear of the object, Judith Hamann, Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen
at MentalRRancho+Resonance Full City Rooster, Dallas 2019
Fear of the object, Judith Hamann, Martin Taxt. Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen
Cloud Tree Studios & Gallery, Austin 2019
«Worstward Ho» av Samuel Beckett med John Tilbury, Kings College, Cambridge 2019
Fear of the object, Ingar Zach, Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen
Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum, Mexico City 2018
Fear of the object, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen
Museo de la Ciudad, Cinematek, Querétaro 2018
Fear of the object, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen h)3ar Sessions,
Taller 30, San Miguel de Allende 2018
Fear of the object, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen 316Centro, Mexico City 2018
Streifenjunko & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo 2018
Fear of the object, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn, Kjell Bjørgeengen
The Dream That Kicks, Cinemateket Oslo 2018
Kim Myhr & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Motvind, Blå Oslo 2018
John Tilbury, Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Cafe Oto, London 2018
Kim Myhr & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Blå, Oslo 2018
Fear of the object, Juan Garcia, Chris Cogburn & Kjell Bjørgeengen,
Festival Aural/El Nicho, Mexico City 2017
Fear of the object, Kjell Bjørgeengen, Chris Cogburn, Ingar Zach, Festival Sonorités Toulouse 2017
Fear of the object, Kjell Bjørgeengen, Chris Cogburn, Ingar Zach ABM, Madrid 2017
Kim Myhr & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Blow Out, Oslo 2017
Rick Reed & Kjell Bjørgeengen, "Global Groove 2", CultureHub, NYC 2017
Rick Reed & Kjell Bjørgeengen, MOHA, Austin 2017
Rick Reed & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Civic TV, Houston 2017
Rick Reed & Kjell Bjørgeengen, The Texas Theater, Dallas 2017
Rick Reed & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Ventura Satx, San Antonio 2017
Fear of the object, Aimée Theriot, Chris Cogburn & Kjell Bjørgeengen,
Proyecto Showroom, San Miguel de Allende 2017
Fear of the object, Aimée Theriot, Chris Cogburn, Juan Sebastian Lach & Kjell Bjørgeengen,
Comité de Asuntos Intangibles, Morelia 2017
Fear of the object, Aimée Theriot, Chris Cogburn & Kjell Bjørgeengen,
Museo Taller Nishizawa, Toluca 2017
Fear of the object, Chris Cogburn & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Liceo Mutante, Pontevedra 2017
Fear of the object, Chris Cogburn & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Sonoscopia, Porto 2017
Fear of the object, Chris Cogburn & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Mágia Roja, Barcelona 2017
Fear of the object, Chris Cogburn, Ingar Zach & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Club Le Larraskito, Bilbao 2017
Fear of the object, Chris Cogburn, Ingar Zach & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Cruze Gallery, Madrid 2017
Fear of the object, Chris Cogburn, Ingar Zach & Kjell Bjørgeengen,
Dans for Voksne, Deichmanske Oslo 2017
Thomas Lehn & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Velakgala#93 Liquidloft, Wien 2017
Jim Denley & Kjell Bjørgeengen. Tempe Jets, Sydney 2017
Jim Denley & Kjell Bjørgeengen., SNO Contemporary Arts Projects, Sydney 2017
Vespers by Alvin Lucier with Le Quan Nin, Ramón de Buey, Andrea Ancira, Fernando Vigueras & Kjell Bjørgeengen, echolocation operators, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin 2017
Rick Reed, Nayantara Bhattacharya & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Blanton Muesum of Art, Austin 2017
Rick Reed & Kjell Bjørgeengen, No Idea festival, Austin 2017
Chris Cogburn & Kjell Bjørgeengen, No Idea festival, Austin 2017
Keith Rowe, John Tilbury & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Moving Sound, Stavanger 2017
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, On The edge, Oslo 2016
Centro Centro, MURAL, Madrid, 2016
CRUCE, arte contemporanco, MURAL, Madrid 2016
Sentralen, MURAL, Oslo 2016
Centro Cultural de España en México, Mexico City 2016
Faro Aragón, MURAL, Mexico City 2016
Queiros Galería with Ricardo Serrano (MX) og Kim Myhr, Guanajuato 2016
Queiros Galería with Ingar Zack og Chris Cogburn (MX/US), Guanajuato 2016
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Primer Depósito, MURAL, Guanajuato 2016
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen Stavanger Kunstmuseum, 2015
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Ny Musikk, Bergen 2015
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Ny Musikk, Trondheim 2015
Keith Rowe, John Tilbury & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Cafe Oto, London 2015
Thomas Lehn & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Neue Musik in St. Ruprecht, Wien 2015
Keith Rowe, John Tilbury & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Ultima 2015
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Ultima, Oslo 2015
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, GalleryHOMELAND, Houston 2015
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Museum of Human Achievment, Austin 2015
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Festival El Nicho, Mexico City 2015
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Kristiansand Kunsthall, 2014
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Théâtre Universitaire de Nancy, Metz 2014
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen, "Two Hundred and Fourty", Cave 12, Geneve 2014
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Crak Festival, L'église Saint-Merry, Paris 2014
"Worstward Ho" by Samuel Beckett performed by John Tilbury, Keith Rowe and Kjell Bjørgeengen,
PUNKT, Kristiansand 2014
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen, "Two Hundred and Fourty", PUNKT, Kristiansand 2014
Kari Rønnekleiv, Ole-Henrik Moe, Keith Rowe, Kjell Bjørgeengen, Kunstneres Hus, Oslo 2014
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Kunstnernes Hus Oslo 2014
John Tilbury & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Samuel Beckett, Bolivar Hall, London 2014
Thomas Lehn & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Ny Musikk, Oslo 2014
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Mind The Gap, Worm, Rotterdam Film Festival 2014
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen NOWnow festival Sydney, Australia 2014
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen MONA FOMA, Hobart, Australia 2014
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen IWAKI AUDITORIUM (ABC) Melbourne, Australia 2014
MURAL & Kjell Bjørgeengen AVANTWHATEVER, Melbourne, Australia 2014
Lasse Marhaug & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Festival Music Unlimited, Wels 2013
Nils Chr. Moe-Repstad (poetry), Kjell Bjørgeengen, Punkt festival, Kristiansand 2013
John Tilbury, Keith Rowe, Kjell Bjørgeengen, Kongsberg Jazz Festival 2013
John Tilbury, Keith Rowe, Kjell Bjørgeengen, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo 2013
Kim Myhr, Tor Haugerud, Kjell Bjørgengen, Metamorf Trondheim, 2012
Kim Myhr, Tor Haugerud, Kjell Bjørgengen, Bidrobon, Drivhuset, Oslo 2012
Okkyung Lee, Kari Rønnekleiv, Ole Henrik Moe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, 300 Acting Spaces, Oslo 2012
Lasse Marhaug & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Plassen, Kunstnersenteret Møre og Romsdal, Molde 2012
Thomas Lehn & Kjell Bjørgenegen, Plassen, Kunstnersenteret Møre og Romsdal, Molde 2012
John Tilbury, Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Molde Jazzfestival, 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjorgeengen, Plassen, Kunstnersenteret Møre og Romsdal, Molde 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjorgeengen, Interstice 07, Caen 2012
Keith Rowe, Toshimaru Nakamura & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Gift Lab, Tokyo 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Super Deluxe, Tokyo 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Nuooh, Osaka 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Guggenheim House, Kobe 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Art Hall, Oita, 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Art Space Tetra, Hakata 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Gallery Soap, Kokura 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, All Ears, Høvikodden Art Center 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Landmark, Bergen Arthall Landmarkt 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Bomuldsfabrikken Kunsthall, Arendal 2012
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen, Ny Musikk, Trondheim, 2012
Feed Noise I, Solo Video performance at 0047, Oslo. 2011
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjørgeengen. Harder Hall Alfred University, Alfred NY 2011
Keith Rowe & Kjell Bjorgeengen, Namesless Sound, Houston, TX, 2011
Galleri Lüttgenmeijer, Berlin 2011, with Keith Rowe
New Music. "Not a concert", workshop result with Taku Unami and Jarrod Fowler", Oslo 2011
Instants Chavires, with Keith Rowe, Paris 2010
Experimental Intermedia Foundation, with Keith Rowe, New York 2010
Cut & Splice, BBC, "Four Systems" by Earle Brown. London 2010
FRISCHZELLE - Festival für Intermedial Improvisation und Komposition, with Keith Rowe Cologne2010
With Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic EnsembleGulbenkian Foundation Lisbon 2010
Göteborg Art Sounds GAS Festival, with Keith Rowe and Streifenjunko, Gøteborg 2010
Sonic Acts XIII, The Poetics of Space, with Keith Rowe and Streifenjunko, Amsterdam 2010
Festival Cable# Keith Rowe / Kjell Bjørgeengen/Streifenjunko,
Musee Des Beaux Arts, Nantes 2010
CAN, with Keith Rowe, Neuchatel 2010
SIC, with Keith Rowe and Espen Reinertsen, Oslo 2009
Fri Resonans, with Keith Rowe, Trondheim 2009
Roulette, with Okkyung Lee, New York City, 2009
Kontraste, with Keith Rowe and Okkyung Lee, Krems 2009
Ny Musikk, with Streifenjunko and Keith Rowe, Soria Moria, Oslo 2009
Sound Cafe Dzumi, with Toshimaru Nakamura (no-input Mixing board),
and Hideaki Shimada (violin) Kichijoji, Tokyo. 2009
Solo performance, Loop-Line, Tokyo 2009
The Fuzz Factor, duo with Keith Rowe, Netwerk, Aalst 2009
Video performance with Streifenjunko, NMH, Oslo 2009
Kill Your Timid Notion Tour, with Keith Rowe and Philipp Wachsmann, London ICA, Bristol Spike Island, Glasgow CCA, 2008
MULTIMAL, with Espen Rud, Morten Qvenild and Jon Eberson, Høvikodden Artcenter 2008
Kill Your Timid Notion, Dundee Contemprary Arts, with Keith Rowe and Philipp Wachsmann, 2008
Høvikodden Live 2008, performance with Keith Rowe and Philipp Wachsmann, Høvikodden Artcenter
Duo with Okkyng Lee, Optosonic Tea, Experimental Intermedia Foundation, New York, 2008
Duo with Marc Ribot, Issue Project Room, New York 2007
Duo with Okkyng Lee, The Stone, New York 2007
Duo with Keith Rowe, Mercado Negro, Aveiro 2007
Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto 2007
Zoom Auditório Municipal, Barcelos 2007
With Evan Parkers Electro Acoustic Ensemble, Queen Elisabeth Hall, London 2006
Novas Músicas, Casa da Música with Keith Rowe, Günter Müller and Tomas Korber, Porto 2006
Duo with Keith Rowe, CCNOA Brussels 2006
EyeFuel, Paradiso, The Holland Festival, with MIMEO 2006
Argos festival. Bruxelles 2005 with MIMEO
Ultima Oslo 2005, with Keith Rowe
Freedom Of the City, Duo with Philipp Wachsmann, London 2005
Duo with Philipp Wachsmann, CCA Glasgow
MEMORY VISION with Evan Parker Electro Acoustic Ensemble, Ultima 2002
Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Huddersfield 2002
Transart, Rovereto 2003, Barcelona 2004, Cross Talk, Porto 2004, ICC Glasgow 2004,
London Queen Elisabeth Hall 2006
Synaesthesia Live, Kjell Bjørgeengen/Asgeir Bjørlykke with Otomo Yoshihide,
Kongsberg Jazz festival, 2001
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Evan Parker, 2001
RELATIVE TO ZERO live, with Evan Parker, Kevala Jazz Festival. Finland 2000
J.Flicker, with Joëlle Léandre, Rockefeller Music Hall Oslo 1996
SPIN, with Jon Balke/ The Magnetic North Orchestra & Isnel da Silveira, National Theatre, Oslo 1994
NOHKA with Joëlle Léandre Ultima, Henie-Onstad Art center, Høvikodden,1991
NOHKA, with Joëlle Léandre, Music Factory, Bergen, 1991
"Open Patch", with Jon Balke trio, World Music Days 1990, Oslo
MULTIMAL, with Svein Finnerud Trio and Trond Botnen, 1971