(W)ho’re Whore

"Strippers, escorts, masseuses, hostesses, actresses, dancers, painters and performance artists are often the same people."

"Sticking to these philosophical principles as they stand fails to take account of a reality that is nevertheless very much present: the many instances where sex workers and artists are one and the same person. Both subject and object, both creator and source material."

— Excerpt from the exhibition text by Alaïa / Aqua Tofana, philosopher, artist and sex worker, France.
(W)ho're Whore is made together with people of different genders and sexualities who have lived experience of sex work. Before the exhibition opened, each participant was invited to make a painting of a penis directly on the gallery walls.

The exhibition also includes drawings collected by the artist over time while meeting women engaged in street-based sex work in Oslo. During these encounters, they were invited to draw a penis on a clipboard.



Kristian Skylstad (b. 1982) is a Norwegian artist, photographer, writer and filmmaker who holds a Master's degree from Statens Kunstakademi, Oslo (National Academy of Fine Arts, Oslo), and a journeyman's certificate in photography.

Skylstad has had solo exhibitions such as K4, OSL Contemporary, Podium (Oslo) and Space 4235 (Genova), and has participated in group exhibitions in Norway, Italy, Belgium, Poland, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, China and the United States, at institutions including Astrup Fearnley Museet (Oslo), The National Museum of Contemporary Art (Oslo), the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, ISCP (New York), Silesian Museum (Katowice) and Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris).

He was a founding member and curator of Galuzin Gallery/T.A.F.K.A.G. (2005–2008) and Noplace (2011–2021).
He lives and works in Ursvik.


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Marte Gunnufsen (b. 1980) is a Norwegian visual artist, classical pianist and piano technician educated at the Grieg Academy, the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Bergen Academy of Art and Design.

Gunnufsen has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Norway, the United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands and the United States, at institutions including Zachęta – National Gallery of Art (Warsaw), AC Institute (New York), NoPlace (Oslo), Sørlandets Kunstmuseum (Kristiansand), Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall (Arendal), Supermarket Art Fair (Stockholm), Fotogalleriet (Oslo), KODE (Bergen), Kunstnernes Hus (Oslo) and DePaul Art Museum (Chicago).

Gunnufsen lives and works in Oslo.


The exhibition is curated by Nora Stangebye and Luca Sørheim.
Supported by Kulturrådet and Oslo Kommune.