On my radar: Jenny Hval’s cultural highlights

Recently a ContraPoints video I saw on the connection between fascism and the new age movement mentioned Doppelganger, so I got myself a copy. It begins as a pandemic memoir on the doppelganger theme: Klein is confused with feminist-turned-conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf. Then it becomes a painful investigation into what drives people to the dark side of the political spectrum. It’s a vulnerable exploration of the leftwing political movement and the shadowlands of the west.

This is my local hub near where I work in Oslo – it takes more time to make a coffee at my studio than it does to walk over there. It’s both a clothing store that stocks only local brands and a lovely cafe with really nice coffee. The in-house dog, Janis the staffie, is amazing ­– she’s friends with everyone and before you know it she’ll be sitting on your lap. At night it sometimes turns into a wine bar. I end up there a lot. If I’m meeting someone, we don’t even say where we’ll be going. It’s Kuro.

Unlimited Void was the first of many shows that Norwegian actor Tani Dibasey and the music duo Only Slime are putting on this year at Det Norske Teatret. Attending felt like engaging in something dark and vibrantly hopeful all at once. In a way it was theatre placed as close to the internet as possible: recurring scenes in a screensaver afterlife lobby; a human and an AI falling in love … I felt as if the ensemble were wading through collective doomscrolling. Very good.

Anger is a visionary director. My First Film is, on the surface, about a young woman making her first film, but it’s also about telling stories in general – how storytelling is a deep part of how we live our lives and find empathy and respect for each other. It’s a wonderful exploration of the richness of existence. I really want Anger to make more films, to create other stories about the American human experience than the shit sandwich we are getting from over there right now.

I am a scent nerd and sometimes I get hung up on an ingredient or an accord in perfumery. I love the scent of iris. If there’s iris in a collection of scents, I am always drawn to it. You’d think it’s the scent of a flower, but it’s made from the iris root, which can make it smell like carrot (among other things). It can be the scent of both air and earth, high above or deep underground, the living and the dead. I love both facets.

There is a huge folk music revival in Norway at the moment. The young people want to hear traditional instruments and dance folk dances. But the music inspired by or rooted in folk traditions is diverse and fresh. This EP by Diket is one of the best things I heard last year. Listening to the songs and lyrics is like putting a camera on the nose of a dog: I feel as if I’m sniffing my way through a city, finding micro-treasures and new perspectives on what I think I know. The poetry really shines.