Untuned Bell

A bell returns home

During the millennium shift, one of Oslo City Hall’s giant steel bells were taken down because it was considered to be out of tune. Years later, the artist AK Dolven found the 1,4 ton (D-sharp) bell at Olsen Nauen Bell Foundry. She decided to bring it back to life. The bell was mounted as the temporary installation, Untuned Bell, at Tullinløkka in 2009.

ELEMENT has assisted KORO and A K Dolven in finding a permanent location for the piece. On the seaside-facing part of City Hall Square, the bell is closer to its original home and can once again interact with the 48 remaining bells in the Tower. A Cry Baby pedal (a type of “wah-wah pedal”, designed for guitar effects) has been installed on the ground. If you step on the pedal, the clock is activated. After several years of being silent, untuned and outcast, the bell finally gets to sing its tune again.

Function: Art piece and sound installation
Client: KORO
Location: Honnørbrygga, Oslo
Status: Completed 2020
Collaborators: A K Dolven
Photo: KORO / Alette Schei Rørvik