Avbrytelse Av Kattemusikk 

Curator: We’re looking at a drawing by Theodor Kittelsen, called "Avbrytelse Av Kattemusikk." Given Kittelsen's usual focus, it is not difficult to recognize here a reflection of folklore, or perhaps social commentary. Editor: It has a wonderfully unsettling fairytale quality. The house looks as if it's groaning under the weight of the inhabitants, and the inhabitants are all grimacing! It makes you wonder what the real disruption is here. Curator: Yes, note the setting. The drawing depicts what appears to be a ramshackle dwelling where numerous figures populate the windows, many with concerned expressions. Down below, a menagerie of animals including pigs and cats are caught in some form of conflict. It suggests a social order in disarray. Editor: Absolutely. There is a hierarchy visible and then destabilized. Look at the human figures juxtaposed against the animals. Each face is individualized, imbued with its own particular form of anxious energy. Do you feel this could be connected to some class commentary maybe? Curator: That's interesting. The tension definitely runs deeper. It evokes, in its pen strokes, an almost Kafkaesque sense of unease. The way he contrasts light and shadow creates an oppressive mood. And let's not forget Kittelsen's deep concern for Norwegian identity and cultural anxieties surrounding industrialization. The interruption might point to that fracture. Editor: Indeed! The term "Kattemusikk", literally "Cat Music", could represent more than just noise. What is it disrupting and why? Consider it, maybe it could be related to some disruption on their societal order. Who are we empowering by being silent and accepting of this situation? Who has a real influence? This sketch allows us to dive into complex socio-political discourses while retaining a captivating fairy tale style. Curator: A potent reminder that visual works of art, regardless of the style or technique used, exist not in a vacuum, but participate actively in broader socio-political discourses. Editor: Right! Through visual narrative we uncover layers of the reality being depicted that encourage us to question not only history but also the present.