Beauty is only the first touch of terror we can still bear, and it awes us so much because it so coolly disdains to destroy us. 
— Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Elegies, translation by David Young

Writing Art introduces a new series of events exploring recent works in the Astrup Fearnley Collection through the practice of ekphrasis. In collaboration with poet Ibrahim Nasser, Head of Education Marie Vallestad will guide participants through selected artworks and creative writing sessions. Audiences are invited to experience the artworks through their own poetic interpretations. 

Shikh Sabbir Alam (b. 1985, Kushtia, Bangladesh) lives and works in Dhaka. In the painting The Elephants and the Fruits, he depicts a scene from the Sundarban, the world’s largest mangrove forest, located on the border between India and Bangladesh. The motif does not appear as a straightforward depiction of nature, but rather as a mental afterimage or dreamlike glimpse. 

The Sundarban, which in Bengali means “beautiful forest,” is characterized by a landscape that is both majestic and essential. The forest mitigates the impact of storm surges, cyclones, and tidal waves, its root systems prevent erosion, and it functions as an important carbon sink. At the same time, its demanding terrain is full of predators and extremely dangerous for humans. Alam is drawn to experiences that overwhelm us; the sublimity in moments of ecstasy, wonder, and fear.  

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