Dyke Dreams
By Anette Gellein
Presented at Rogaland Kunstsenter, Stavanger, Norway
15th November- 15th of December 2024
Dyke Dreams is an installation that combines objects, sound, and film. The film portion is shot on 16mm analog film and takes the form of an erotic commercial that gradually transforms into a horror movie, where the characters claw their way through each other’s bodies. The work draws inspiration from Kenneth Anger’s Kustom Kar Kommandos (1965) and can be seen as a tribute to his iconic piece. The film touches on the local oil industry, the Americanization of Norwegian culture, and queer loneliness. It plays with a fictional historical oil past in Stavanger, blurring the lines between reality, dreams, and fiction.
Dyke Dreams has been selected for Dream State — the 18th edition of Artists’ Film International, curated by Forma in collaboration with 16 cultural institutions across four continents.
In other words, Dyke Dreams is in 2025 drifting through screens and spaces around the world, presented in co-curation and co-presentation with:
- Argos centre for audiovisual arts, Brussels, Belgium - Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan in eXiLe e.V., (CCAA in EXiLe), Frankfurt Germany
- Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, Ireland - Cultural Centre of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- Forma, London, UK - Fundación Proa, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo (GAMeC), Bergamo, Italy - Istanbul Modern, Türkiye
- Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), Los Angeles, USA - Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila, Philippines
- Mmag foundation, Amman, Jordan. - Project 88, Mumbai, India
- Sapieha Palace, branch of the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC), Vilnius, Lithuania. - Southwark Park Galleries, London, UK
- Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland. - Tromsø Kunstforening,Tromsø, Norway.
- Video-Forum of Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k), Berlin, Germany
Director/Cinematography/Costume Anette Gellein
Performers Torunn Larsen, Pia Dahl, Miriam Teshager, Nathalie Wiberg, Tycho
Movement Director Nathalie Wiberg
Special effects Michael Wallin
Producer Mari Rossavik
Funded by LIFT & BKH Grant
Special thanks to Robin Riad, Noah Henderson, Karl Reinslau, Chris Kennedy, Marie Midttun Skretting, Jonas Thor, Helle Navratil, Smedvig & Mia's Kostymelager.
Dyke Dreams was developed both in Stavanger and Canada. Text, sound and clips were developed during an artist residency at the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers in Toronto. The film was shot in Stavanger with performers Pia Dahl, Torunn Larsen, Nathalie Wiberg and Miriam Teshager, with special effects by Michael Wallin.
The actors and collaborators in this film all fill multiple roles including actor, producer, friend, confidant, caterer and beyond. The truly erotic and violent nature of this film is made possible through the acts of care, communication and consent. Otherwise it would be horror of a different kind.
