Grete Kvaal’s photo exhibition in Café Cora portrays people and milieus in the two popular establishments – Gjøa Pub and Fram Mathus – just before they closed their doors. The artist tells how this photo project came about:
I read in the newspaper about the imminent sale five days before Folkets Hus was closed down on 31 July 2001, and immediately decided to document the final days. The house’s present function would change, and through my pictures, I wanted to preserve a time that was soon to become history.
Grete Andrea Kvaal
Gjøa Pub was a typical beer pub with guests made up of largely older people who had a lived life behind them. Fram Mathus was an eating establishment that served traditional home fare, with three or four dishes on the menu. I have tried to capture some of the distinctive atmosphere that made these places so special, with many regular customers and personnel who had great care and consideration for their guests.
Grete Andrea Kvaal was born and raised in Tromsø. As a photographer, some of her work involves abstract landscape photography. She is also solidly anchored in the documentary black-white genre. She has contributed with both photographs and text for the book project “Karen Anna og hennes siida” (Karen Anna and Her Village), which deals with Sami women in reindeer farming.
The last large project Kvaal participated in is the film “Dagbok fra en avskjed” (Diary from a Farewell) from 2003.
