The Mermaid is a photo-based collage installed on the gallery's windows facing Rådhusgaten, based on photographs Pia Eikaas has taken in various urban environments in Norway and Europe. Through a queer-feminist lens, she explores the cultural landscapes of the city and the stories connected to female figures such as author Virginia Woolf (1882–1941), Artemis (goddess of the hunt, forest, and animals in Greek mythology), and French painter Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899).

A recurring theme is water and fluidity, reflected in images of fountains and water goddesses, such as the River Goddess in Berlin and a mermaid in Kvadraturen in Oslo. The photographs are presented in a fragmented collage format, with overlapping and shifting images, inspired by the poetry of the ancient Greek poet Sappho.

Window #1:

On the left window, we see a mermaid (upside down) in the center, flanked by image fragments from a water fountain featuring a river goddess in Berlin. The photograph of the mermaid is a detail from a relief on the facade of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association at Rådhusgata 25 in Kvadraturen. It was created by sculptor Asbjørg Betty Borgfelt (1900–1976), one of Norway’s first female sculptors to express her art on a large scale in public space.

In mythological representations, mermaids are often symbols associated with freedom, transformation, and transgression. They embody the mysterious and unknown, while also symbolizing femininity, strength, and seduction. In some stories, mermaids are guides between worlds, while in others, they are alluring forces challenging boundaries and norms.

In this project, the mermaid becomes a link between the city's fixed structures and photography’s ability to create new perspectives. By using this symbolism, Eikaas explores how identity and space can be in constant flux.

Above the mermaid, the artist has placed a text she calls an “anti-text,” where words that often have negative connotations – such as “uncool” and “slow” – are given a positive and subversive meaning.

Window #2:

On the right window, we see an image of a sculpture depicting Artemis of Ephesus. In Greek mythology, she is, among other things, the goddess of the hunt, the forest, fertility, and moonlight. Artemis has carried many stories through time – some focusing on the hunt, others on fertility. This version from Ephesus has been interpreted as both the goddess of wild nature and of fertility.

Artemis was known for never wanting to marry and spent most of her time in nature, hunting, or bathing in lakes surrounded by water nymphs.

Behind her, we see a fragment of the River Ouse – the same river that ran past the house of British author Virginia Woolf (1882–1941). Woolf would walk along this river, think, write – and it was here she wrote Orlando, a story about a person who changes gender, defies traditional gender roles, and moves through time and history. When life became too heavy, Woolf walked into the river and drowned – she disappeared into the unknown. But the river still flows. It continues to grow and tell stories – not in a straight line, but in circles, like layers in the earth, as if time is blended together.

Above the image of the River Ouse lies a pink, grainy surface. Below Artemis, we see transparent boxes that stand like a kind of “anti-monument.” They are silent and still, but resemble water.

To the right, we see a garden, a park, and a waterfall. In Rue de la Cascade in Paris lies Bar Rosa Bonheur – a lesbian bar connecting multiple histories. It is named after Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899), a well-known French artist who loved women, smoked cigars, and wore trousers. She may not have known her name would later be used for a bar – a place where American author Patricia Highsmith (1921–1995) used to spend time – drinking, people-watching, just being. To this day, many lesbian and queer women gather in this park on Sunday evenings.

Fun fact: Until 2013, it was illegal for women in France to wear trousers.

One Art Project – Multiple Publishing Platforms

The Mermaid is an extension of a work previously published in poster format, created specifically for the seminar Visual Conversations – Photography and Feminist Publishing 1975–2025 at Preus Museum in March 2025 – marking the 50th anniversary of the UN’s International Women’s Year in 1975.

The images used in the window exhibition The Mermaid are taken from a larger photographic project that will become a photo book published by the Copenhagen-based publisher Emancipa(t/ss)tionsfrugten in June 2026.

In this way, the artist explores different publishing platforms using the same visual material and themes to broaden the project’s reach and engagement.

The project as a whole is a collaboration with Hilde Herming and Good For You – Goodiebag Productions, and is supported by Fritt Ord. Thanks to Oslo Digitaltrykk.

Pia Eikaas (b. 1985, Norway) is an artist working with photography, text, and installation in the expanded field. Through a queer-feminist lens, she explores urban and cultural landscapes via nomadic walks, where objects, ideas, and stories are gathered and become the foundation of her art. Her work has been shown at, among others, Under The Spell Artspace London, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Kunsthall Charlottenborg, and UKS (Young Artists' Society). She has participated in residencies at Cité des Arts in Paris and the Pivô Research Program in São Paulo, and has works in the permanent collection at Kunstsilo. In 2026, she will publish the book Public Intimacies with the Copenhagen-based publisher Emancipa(t/ss)tionsfrugten.