Northing

Northing—Centre for East Asian Art and Culture is the first—and currently the only—non-profit contemporary art centre in Norway dedicated to fostering cultural exchange between Norway and East Asia.

In Norway, Northing seeks to enrich the diversity of cultural life by opening a sustained window onto contemporary art and culture from East Asia. Through a cross-disciplinary programme encompassing exhibitions, publications, and public events, Northing engages Norwegian audiences with artistic practices and cultural perspectives that are otherwise rarely encountered locally.

Internationally, Northing creates platforms for direct dialogue and collaboration between Norwegian artists and their counterparts in East Asia, encouraging reciprocal exchange and long-term professional relationships.

At present, Northing operates through three core functions: Northing Space, its exhibition venue; Kinakaal, an art-book publisher and design studio; and Elephanten, a small art and design bookshop. In the coming years, Northing aims to expand its role further by developing additional cultural and educational initiatives.

is a multi-functional and cross-discipline venue for artists, designers, architects, etc. from East-Asian countries or with an East-Asian cultural background. So far Northing Space has hosted exhibitions and events for guests from Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, USA, Norway and other European countries, all with a East-Asian cultural background. Our exhibitions have a broad disciplinary diversity, including fine art, literature, illustration, photography, book design, critical design, architecture, comic art, printmaking, handicrafts, goldsmith, and more. Since the opening in 2019, Northing Space has collaborated with many local, national, and international cultural organisations, such as The Bergen House of Literature, Bergen International Literary Festival, Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen Centre for Electronic Art, Bergen Assembly, Tekstallianse, Tekstallmenningen, Entrée, Bergen Art Book Fair, Pamflett, Grafill, Norla, Unfold Shanghai Art Book Fair (CN), Bananafish (CN), abC Art Book Fair (CN), Power Station of Art (CN), Off-Site (TW), Pon Ding (TW), einBuch.haus (DE), Gloria Glitzer (DE), PrintRoom (NL), Tofu Collective (DK), Art Centre GL STRAND (DK) and more.
With Kinakaal (Chinese cabbage), Northing wishes to open up new opportunities for conversations and collaborations between East-Asia and Norway, to explore various cultural dimensions, such as visual, independent, and academic culture, as well as less known cultural expressions. Kinakaal wishes to facilitate direct contact and cooperation between East-Asian and Norwegian artists and designers through book and design projects. Up to now (July 2024) Kinakaal has won four times in the Most Beautiful Norwegian Books for the Year competition and received multiple international design awards.
is the tiniest bookshop in Bergen with focus on art and design publications and art merchandise by East-Asian artists and designers. The size of the store approximates to that of an elephant, and it was a reboot of the pop-up