Since 1985, international stone sculptors have been invited every two years to the quarry of Tjodalyng/Larvik in southern Norway, to work sculptural with the local blue-crystalline
Larvikite. The content of the Symposium Norge is based on the original and non-profit stone sculptor symposium of the 1960s and follows the tradition of offering artists the freedom to
work collectively and away from studio- and commercial requirements. A scholarship for travel, accommodation, as well as the provision of a workplace and Larvikite material is intended
to enable free and intensive work. The workplace is located directly in the Larvikite quarry Stålaker and the artist comes to the stone and
encounters industry, nature and new artistic challenges. We have invited nine international stone
sculptors to our next Symposium`24 with a focus on individual artistic positions
and cultural exchanges, the opportunity for dialogue and communal living and
working.
After 2019 and a break of three years, the Symposium Norge celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022 and in collaboration with the stone industry of Lundhs AS and the Kunstfelt Stålaker, nine sculptors were invited to the International Larvikite Sculpture Symposium`22.
The resulting sculptures can be visited at the Stålaker Sculpture Park.
Participants: Liu Dangyong/ China, Pauline Berger/ Germany, François Weil/ France, Eileen MacDonagh/ Ireland, Klaus W. Rieck/ Germany,
Bertha Shortiss/ Switzerland, A. Kei Nakamura/ Japan, Sabrina Coco/ Argentina and Martin Kuhn/ Germany
Living and working at the same place and at the origin of the stone. Since 1990, the Symposium House has served the sculptors from all over the world as a meeting place and as accommodation during the symposium. It is located directly at the foot of Lundhs Stålaker quarry and offers short distances to the workplace, as well as a central location between the cities of Larvik and Sandefjord, in the municipality of Vestfold / Norway. Further accommodation is available directly on the quarry site. Workers' huts have been converted into sleeping cabins and are located in the immediate vicinity of the workplace and the Symposium house.
The Larvik district in southern Norway is blessed with the monzonite variety named Larvikite. It was formed during a period of strong volcanic activity about 300 million years ago, cooled off and hardened at depths of 8-9.000 meters. The above lying material has since eroded, bringing the Larvikite to the surface. It contains beautiful blue crystals made of alkali feldspar, which refract the light in such a way, that the resulting play of colors often is called labradorization. This stone is therefore also known as Labrador, because of this optical effect.
Labrador has several varieties, where the background color, the size and the color of the crystals vary. The best known types are Blue Pearl, Emerald Pearl and
Marina Pearl. Common for all are the large shining and glittering bluish crystals. Labrador is mainly utilized for facades of prestige buildings, interior decorations and monuments. The
Larvik district has since the start of quarrying the resource late last century, become a center of Norwegian stone-production with solid craftsmanship and traditions.
Today, Lundhs is the largest producer of natural stone in Northern Europe.
Thor-Anders Lundh Håkestad is the CEO, continuing the quarrying traditions with a passion for innovation, quality and precision that started with the founder, Thor
Lundh, back in 1962. The company is owned by the Lundh and Treschow families. The Lundhs story started more than 100 years ago when Alfred Lundh came to Norway from Sweden to run one
of the biggest quarrying companies at that time. In 1962, Alfred’s grandson Thor, decided to start his own quarrying company – Lundhs. Throughout time, innovation has been essential for
Lundhs. The areas of use for natural stone have changed a lot and the ways of extracting have changed completely.
This material is extracted from the Stålaker quarry, close to Larvik.
LUNDHS Marina® is characterised by large steel-blue feldspar crystals, and has a homogenous colour.
Stone type: Larvikite (Monzonite)
Origin: Crafted 300 million years ago in Larvik, Norway.