Maia Urstad is an artist based in Bergen, Norway working at the intersection of audio and visual art. She was educated at the Bergen National Academy of the Arts and was a member of ska/new-wave group ‘Program 81’, releasing 4 records and touring between 1979-84. Technological progress and communications technology are pervasive themes in her projects, using radio as a key audio, visual and conceptual element, commenting on the temporary nature of present technology, and what traces and stories we leave behind when new inventions enter our daily lives. She has been an active contributor to the Norwegian and international contemporary art scene since the mid 80ties. She is part of the international sound art collective Freq_out curated by CM von Hausswolff, and a co-founder of Lydgalleriet in Bergen. She has created light-and sound installations in collaboration with artist Hilde Hauan since 2007, and together with artist Anton Kats and curator Eva Rowson, they formed Project MÆKUR following a residency at Bergen Kunsthall in 2018 and at Lighthouse in Brighton 2019.   

Maia Urstad was in 2019 awarded “Rune Brynestad's memorial Grant”, Norway’s most finest and largest one-year grants for artists. In 2017 she was appointed as City Sound Artist of Bonn 2017, and exhibited “Time-Tone-Passages”, a 40-channel site specific sound installation based on material from the radio archive of Deutsche Welle 2017-2020.

Her solo and collaboration work has been presented at spaces such as: Bergen Kunsthall (NO), Borderline Festival, Athens (GR), Bonnhoeren (DE), Fundacion Proa (AR), Radiorevolten (DE), Off the Page (NO), Trafo Kunsthall Oslo (NO), High Zero Festival (US), Cafe OTO, London, Barents Spektakel (NO), Singuhr Sound Gallery (DE), Lydgalleriet in Bergen (NO), Visningsrommet USF (NO), Moderna Museet (SE), The 5th Marrakech Biennial (MA), KODE – Bergen Art Museum (NO), Johannesburg Art Gallery (SA), Prefix ICA in Toronto (CA), and Electrohype i Malmö Konsthall (SE). Permanent installasjon i Kongsvinger Festning and Herdla Museum (NO).»

DOWNLOAD CV HERE

2024: Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo. Upcoming solo exhibition in parallel with Pearla Pigao. 24.05.24 – 04.08.24.
2024: Visningsrommet USF. 40 years jubilee exhibition for artists at United Sardines Factory, Bergen. 18. 04 – 12.05 24
2024: BEK- Bergen centre for electronic art, sound performance during the BEK Opening Week 2024.
2024: Chicago Architecture Center, sound work for «Radio Utopia - News from the world". 24.Feb - 03.March 2024.
2023: XVIIIth Venice International Architecture Exhibition 2023, sound work for «Radio Utopia - News from the world".
2023: Sail In of Sound Art, Soundwork for the platform Urban Sound Art, Fredrikstad (NO). 15. July- 15. Aug. 2023.
2023: Hordaland kunstsenter. Pinball Weekend as part of the initiative Dear Neighbour. 20. - 21. May.
2023: Oscillation ::: o tempo — festival 2023, solo performance commissioned by Q‑O2. 27. - 30. April, Brussels.
2023: Borealis – a festival for experimental music, IONOS - commisioned work. World premiere in Bergen, 19. 03. 2023.
2022: Atelier Nord, Oslo: FERD solo exhibition. Part of the Ultima festival 2022. 16.09 – 30.10.22
2022: Ultima Context: artist talk with writer Rob Young. Atelier Nord 18.09.22
2022: «-I»: contribution to a 12-hour online event organized by Christof Migone as part of «You And I Are Water Earth Fire Air Of Life And Death» - a series of twelve annual events taking place on December 12 from noon to midnight EST 2020-2031.
2022: Radio Art Zone: A 22-hour sound work for radio commissioned by Radio Art Zone in Esch2022. 26.07 2023.
Radio Art Zone: A 22-hour sound work for radio commissioned by Radio Art Zone as part of Esch2022.
2022: ORF Kunstradio: a 26 minutes’ sound piece based on the 22 hours-long «Train Tables and Radio Waves» Producer: Elisabeth Zimmermann, broadcast on FM Ö1 (Austria), RÖI (Shortwave) and online, 28. August at 23.00 CEST
2022: National Museum Norway + Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology: MURMUR installation 30.09 2021 - 24.04.2022
2022: Norwegian Sound Archives Conference: A talk: on «issues and challenges in archiving and documentation of sound art, with the main focus on sound installations and spatial works». Speakers can be found here. 25. - 26.04.2022.
2022: Quimera Gallery Buenos Aires: ES TIERRA MELANCOLÍA PERROS, Y LA RUTA AVANZA, group exhibition with 14 international artists, curated by Melina Berkenwald in the context of URRA residencies. Opening 4. February 2022. Norwegian embassy info HERE
2022: Transmissions Sound Art Residency Exchange performance / listening session in Syros, Greece 13th April 2022. With: researcher Anna Papaeti (GR/CY), artist Maia Urstad (NO), curator Karolin Tampere / NNKS (NO) and respondens, curators and organisors acte vide (GR).
2022: The Research Centre for the Humanities (RCH) and the Norwegian Institute at Athens: panel / presentaiton in the conference «Greece and Norway: European center, periphery or it’s complicated?» With: Anna Papaeti (GR/CY), Maia Urstad (NO), Karolin Tampere / NNKS (NO) and acte vide (GR) as part of the Transmissions Sound / Art Residency Exchange. April 11th, 2022.
2022: Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, Europalia trains & tracks. In collaboration with Q-02. 18.01.2022 - 13.02.2022. (Cancelled)
2022: Kunsthall 3,14: Book launch of SPRANG, a long term collaboration between Hilde Hauan and Maia Urstad. Conversation moderated by Anne Marthe Dyvi. 10.Feb 2022.
2022: Oslo kunstforening: Book Launch, SPRANG, a long term collaboration between Hilde Hauan and Maia Urstad. 6.Jan 22.
2021-2022: Oslo kunstforening: Sparebankstiftelsen DNB's Grant Exhibition with nominated artists Lillian Saksi, Anne Haugsgjerd and Maia Urstad.
2018 - 2022: Osterøy Museum: “SPRANG” long term fiber optic sound installation with Hilde Hauan. Commission: BEK and KORO. About Osterøy Museum.
2021: RUMMUR_radio: a radio broadcast initiative from curators, producers and artists Peter Meanwell, Eva Rowson and Maia Urstad. Broadcasting on FM 93.8 Mhz and AM 1314 kHz to the region of Bergen, Norway, hosted by Bergen Kringkaster.
2021: LISTENING / HEARING, international symposium bonn hoeren 20. – 23.10.2021. Sound performance and panel discussion.
2021: The Transmissions sound art residency. Invited artists: Anna Papaeti (GR/CY) and Maia Urstad (NO). Initiators / respondents: acte vide (GR). The project is organized by Syros Sound Meetings (Greece) & North Norwegian Art Centre (Norway) and coordinated by ONASSIS STEGI (Greece) in partnership with Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival (Norway). DATES: 12. - 22. June: Ano Syros, Greece // 5. - 12. September 2021: Vardø, Norway:
2021: Borealis Radio Space. An online radio platform by Borealis Festilval. 15 March–18 April.
2021: The Scientist in Pisco, a mini opera commisioned by «AVGARDE - Bergen's concert series for new music».
With Eva Pfitzenmaier and Ole André Farstad: voice, guitar, electronics; Andrea U. Toft: video, and Nico Trompe: recorded voice. World Premier at Cornerteateret Bergen 5th February, 6th February: Ytre Arna Industrihus.
2021: Kabuso Art Centre, «The Scientist in Pisco», performance as part of en Opera Avgarde commision, 24. April.
2021: NRK Spillerom: guest in a national radio broadscast by Marion Hestholm about Opera Avgarde and The Scientist in Pisco.
2021: Borealis- en festival for eksperimentell musikk a video documentation of The Scientist in Pisco at the Borealis opening March 21.
2021: Creative Monday Meeting at The House of Literature in Bergen, Maia Urstad: insight to working methods and creative practice.
2020: Kabuso Art Centre, solo exhibition «Etter Alle Solemerke» with Lars Ove Toft. Hardanger, Norway, 8.2 - 31.5. More HERE
2020: Reina Sofia Museum, AUDIOSPHERE: “Social Experimental Audio, Pre- and Post-Internet”, curated by Francisco Lopez
2020: Sonic Acts Academy 2020: MÆKUR: Anton Kats + Maia Urstad + Eva Row­son. Amsterdam, february 2020.
2020: NyMusikk at Borealisfestival 2020. Conversation about possible international strategies for the contemporary music field.
2020: Hordaland kunstsenter: «Ambient poetry» - a 45 minutes’ live radio conversation initiated by artist William Kudahl 13th Feb.
2020: OORtreders Festival, Belgium / MÆKUR - residency and performance with Eva Rowson and Anton Kats. Oct 2020 ((Cancelled).
2019: 14. Bienal de Artes Mediales, “El tercer paisaje” Santiago de Chile (CL) 17. November - 8. December 2019
2019: Bonnhoeren, Zeit-Ton-Passagen: Radiophonic Concert. 28th September 2019.
2017-2019: Zeit-Ton-Passagen. 40-channel radio installation in Bonn. Open till end Sept. 2019. Article by R. Fulker HERE
2019: Struer Tracks Urban Sound Art Festival. New sound installation, Struer, Denmark, 22.08 - 07.09 2019
2019: Radiophonic concert. Commisioned by Beethoven Foundation and Bonnhoeren. Bonn, 28.9.2019.
2019: Kongsvinger Kunstforening, «Festningen» curated by Helga-Marie Nordby. 24th.August - 29th.September
2019: Maia Urstad is awarded the Rune Brynestad's memorial Grant, Norway’s largest one-year grants for artists. May 2019.
2019: Lighthouse, Brighton (GB). MAKU: Maia Urstad and Anton Kats in residence, 13th-23rd June 2019. Curated by Eva Rowson.
2019: Hardanger Musikkfestival, New sound installation, SIDERSOGER, at Alvavoll, Lofthus, Norway, 6.- 10.06 2019.
2019: Universität der Künste, Berlin, Special guest at a lecture by Carsten Seiffarth at department of Sound Studies and Sonic Arts.
2019: Art Fair Suomi 19, sound piece for Galleri Ruth’s Drive-In of Sound Art, an out-door artist-run sound gallery located along the high way.
2019: Borderline Festival, Athens. New sound installation, MURMUR at Onassis Cultural Center, 5.-7.04 2019
2018-2019: Bergen Kunsthall «On Circulation». 16. November 2018 — 13. January 2019. Live commision 21 - 25. Nov.
2018: Bergen Kunsthall, Upstairs «Maia Urstad + Anton Kats», collaborative commision 20. - 25. nov.2018 as part of «On Circulation»
2018: Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall, live performances from Maia Urstad + ИЛЬИЧ (Anton Kats). 23. nov.2018
2018: Bergen Kunsthall: “Plattform: On Maintaining Circulation” With Andrea Francke & Eva Rowson / Wish you’d been here, Anton Kats, Maia Urstad, Emma Wolukau-Wanambwa, and Hannah Gillow-Kloster. More HERE
2018: Bonnhoeren exhibition: «urban sound art», Athens, 19th-28th October 2018 at the Onassis Cultural Center
2018: Sonic Agency; Live performance at the launch of Brandon LaBelle’s book «Sonic Agency». Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall.
2018-2021: Osterøy Museum: “SPRANG” by H. Hauan and M. Urstad. Commissioned by BEK and KORO. 2018-2021
2018: Time-Tone Passages. Public 40 channel radio installation, commissioned by Bonnhoeren.
2018: Deutschland Funk «radio piece zeit-ton-passagen», commisioned work for radio. 2018-2019.
2018: MACBA Web Radio: «#264 Maia Urstad», podcast by Anna Ramos and André Chêdas. Launched 28.06.2018 (75' 16'')
2018: MACBA Web Radio: «#264 deleted scenes, launched 26.09.2018 (10' 36'')
2018: «Urban Sound Art» a Bonnhoeren exhibition at the Onassis Cultural Center, Athens, 19th-28th October 2018
2018: The Ethernal Chord «Semper Liber» CD release spring 2018 curated by Mike Harding, published by Field Music.
2018: Artist presentation at «Nye Stemmer», a project initiated and led by Rebecka Ahvenniemi. Bergen Library, Norway, 12th May.
2018: Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall: Live performance at the launch of Brandon LaBelle’s new book «Sonic Agency».  16th April 2018.
2018: Borealis Festival - Radio is Dead. Long Live Radio! with Anna Ramos, Jan Høgh Stricker, Peter Meanwell and Maia Urstad
2018: Tapeloping: 30th Anniversary radio stream - contribution to a radio stream for Art's Birthday 2018 by Absolute Value of Noise.

PREVIOUS (selection)
2017:
- Trafo Kunsthall, Oslo. «LINJE». Solo exhibition with Hilde Hauan Johnsen (NO)
-  WDR3, Funkhaus Wallrafplatz Cologne, concert installation by Maia Urstad and Dirk Specht (DE)
- «Babel Underground» concert installations at Global Media Forum, Bonn with Dirk Specht. June 17. Part of Bonnhoeren.
- Off the Page, nyMusikk, Bergen Kunsthall: ”Elegy to FM”  (NO)
- Visningsrommet USF, Bergen. «SPRANG USF», solo exhibition with Hilde Hauan Johnsen (NO)«
- Ô1 Kunstradio: «Radio Hommage an Pauline Oliveros». contribution to Phonofemme festival 2017. 
2016:
Kongsvinger Fortress: ONGOING Permanent sound installation commissioned by KORO/Public Art Norway. Since 2016.
- Radio Revolten II- sound installation at Stadtmuseum, Halle / Saale (DE)
- Proa Foundation Contemporary Space, Buenos Aires. Solo exhibiiton (AR)
- Proa Foundation, Performative sound work with Peter Meanwell and Lars Ove Toft
- «Bosquejar Esbozar Proyectar» score drawings for an exhibition curated by Javier Aparicio and Santiago Bengolea. Buenos Aires (AR)
- The 18th Annual High Zero Festival, Baltimore. Solo- and group performances (USA)
- Tonspur Kunstverein «Freq_out 11» curators: CMvon Hausswolff & Franz Pomassl. Vienna (AT)
- Works for Radio at Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen, commisioned by The Lake Radio (DK)  
2015:
- Barents Spektakel, Kirkenes (NO)
- Landmark, Bergen - BEK Anniversary: performative sound work with Peter Meanwell and Lars Ove Toft
- Lydgalleriet, performative sound project with Conrad Kemp (ZA) curated by Daniella Cascella
2014:
- The 5th Marrakech biennial curated by Hicham Khalidi, solo performance and Freq-out #10 installation.
- Galleri SOFT, Oslo, SPRANG, solo exhibition with Hilde Hauan Johnsen (NO)
- Volt  - Visningsrommet USF, Bergen, CARGO solo exhibition. More HERE.
- Galerie Del Infinito Arte - Buenos Aires, URRA 2014. Group exhibition.
- Freq_out 1.2 (skandion) permanent sound installation at Skandion Clinic, Uppsala (SE)
2013:
- Only Connect Festival of Sound, Oslo
- De Stedelijk, Sonic Acts - freq_out 10
2012:
- Moderna Museet  - Freq_out 8
- Den Frie Contemporary Art, Copenhagen,
- Cafe OTO London,
- Singuhr Sound Galleri, Berlin,
- Lydgalleriet, Bergen,
- Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum og Sogn and Fjordane Kunstmuseum, with Hilde Hauan
2011:
- Intro-in-Situ, Maastrich (NL),
- Skanu Mez / Resonance Riga (LV),
- Flanders Festival Kortrijk (BE),
- Hordaland Kunstsenter, Len LIVE, Bergen (NO),
2010:
- Museu de Arte Moderna // MAMAM do patio, Rezife, Brazil
- KODE Bergen - BGO#1,
- Herdla Museum, Askøy,
- Barnas Kulturhus, with Maria Øy Lojo, Bergen (NO)
2009:
- Museum for Contemporary Art, Kaliningrad (RUS)
- Northumberland Transfer, Newcastle (UK)
- Lydgalleriet (the Sound Gallery) in Bergen (NO),
- Disturbances at Johannesburg Art Gallery South-Africa,
- Visningsrommet USF, Bergen (NO)
2008:
- Intervall - Bergen City Hall (NO),
- Article Biennial, Stavanger (NO),
- Danielle Arnoud Contemporary Art Gallery, London (UK)
- Happy New Ears Festival (BE),
- Ambience 08 - Sweden (SE)
- Borealis festival - Bergen (NO),
- Textile 07 at Kaunas National Museum Lithuania (LT),
- Rainbow Audio Transformation at Extra City in Antwerp (BE)
2007:
- Larm, Kulturhuset Stockholm (SE),
- Sound Bank at the Borealis Festival, Bergen (NO),
- freq_out 5, Chiangmai, Thailand (TH),
- freq_out 6, Kunsthalle Budapest (HU),
2006:
- Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art, Toronto, Canada (CAN)
- Version 06, Chicago (USA)
- The Idea of North, Halifax, Canada (and Galleri F15 Norway 2005),
- freq-out 4 - Sonambiente, Berlin (DE),
2005:
- Electrohype - Malmø Konsthall, Malmø (SE),
- freq-out 3 - Nuit Blanche, Paris (FRA)
- Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen (NO),
2004:
- Borealis festival, Bergen (NO),
- Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Oslo (NO),
- Beta I, BIT Teatergarasjen, Bergen (NO),