presented by VI, VIIEliza Douglas
Press release
Nedre Slottsgate 8 is a two-floor unit formerly occupied by Balenciaga at Promenaden: a luxury shopping district in Oslo’s historic city centre.
Since April, VI, VII has organized an experimental program of activity at this location, repurposing the former store into a private showroom, and offering an intimate, behind the scenes view onto the typically concealed and now partially exposed underlying structure of the building it connects to: Steen & Strøm, Oslo’s oldest department store.
Behind this intentionally unmarked storefront lies a semi-secret exhibition of exceptional works by Eliza Douglas. Drawn from her first AI-inspired body of work, each oil painting is wrapped in an oversized three-dimensional fabric bow some of which have been made by Balenciaga’s couture studio and others handmade by Berlin based designer Don Aretino.
The paintings rest over a site-specific installation by Ingrid Bredholt, a Norwegian artist and designer behind the concept store, Sorgenfri. Inspired to enhance the raw and unpolished “luxury brand has left the building” aspects of the space, Ingrid dressed the architecture in large plastic sheeting—a material normally used kill greenery, clear land, and inhibit weeds.
Invisible from street view, the lower level of the space features an intimate series of watercolour portraits by Douglas of friends, individuals from the pages of magazines, and at least one historical figure, a rare chance to see a medium lesser used by the artist.
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas, Crystal Splash, 2024
Mixed media on canvas
170 × 170 × 23 cm (66 ⅞ × 66 ⅞ × 9 inches) (66 ⅞ × 66 ⅞ × 9 inches)
Mixed media on canvas
170 × 170 × 23 cm (66 ⅞ × 66 ⅞ × 9 inches) (66 ⅞ × 66 ⅞ × 9 inches)
Eliza Douglas, Crystal Splash, 2024
Mixed media on canvas
170 × 170 × 23 cm (66 ⅞ × 66 ⅞ × 9 inches)
Mixed media on canvas
170 × 170 × 23 cm (66 ⅞ × 66 ⅞ × 9 inches)
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas, Bubble Gum Time, 2024
Mixed media on canvas
110 × 110 × 16 cm (43 ¼ × 43 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches)
Mixed media on canvas
110 × 110 × 16 cm (43 ¼ × 43 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches)
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas, Blossoms & Blossoms, 2024
Mixed media on canvas
210 × 170 × 28 cm (82 ⅝ × 66 ⅞ × 11 inches)
Mixed media on canvas
210 × 170 × 28 cm (82 ⅝ × 66 ⅞ × 11 inches)
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas, Cotton Candy Drip, 2024
Mixed media on canvas
110 × 110 × 16 cm (43 ¼ × 43 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches) (43 ¼ × 43 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches)
Mixed media on canvas
110 × 110 × 16 cm (43 ¼ × 43 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches) (43 ¼ × 43 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches)
Eliza Douglas, Cotton Candy Drip, 2024
Mixed media on canvas
110 × 110 × 16 cm (43 ¼ × 43 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches)
Mixed media on canvas
110 × 110 × 16 cm (43 ¼ × 43 ¼ × 6 ¼ inches)
Eliza Douglas at Nedre Slottsgate 8
Eliza Douglas, Two-Chambered Heart, 2024
Mixed media on canvas
250 × 150 × 32 cm (98 ⅜ × 59 × 12 ⅝ inches)
Mixed media on canvas
250 × 150 × 32 cm (98 ⅜ × 59 × 12 ⅝ inches)
