05.01.2026 - 31.01.2026
Nick Walter
Nic Walter (b. 1992, Los Alamos, New Mexico) is a visual artist and researcher based in New York City. He explores the physical and psychological dimensions of toxicity. Nic paints exclusively with biohazardous materials such as pesticides, narcotics, and post-industrial waste.
He holds three bachelor's degrees from the University of Georgia (art history, cognitive science, and psychology) and a master's degree from Columbia University (quantitative methods).
Nic was on a work visit here at Velferden in January 2026 where he collected and experimented with pigment from the bottom of the Jøssigfjord. This is what Nic writes about his stay:
“In Sokndal, I spent my time studying local underwater ecosystems and the industrial waste found within them. Using diving equipment, I visited various aquatic environments to collect material samples and record optical, psychological and geospatial measurements.
I love the optical qualities of the waste material found at the bottom of the Jøssingfjord. The material, when ground into a fine dust, is faintly reflective and has a warm grey tone. It has an aura of mystery that I find very appealing.
Through working with the physical dimensions of these underwater locations, I was inspired to reflect on a broader set of philosophical and political questions:
How much of a landscape is it actually possible to know?
Where is the threshold between surface and depth?
When allegations of harm arise, where can the harm actually be located – and what does it look like?
I will attempt to frame and answer these questions in a series of paintings to be completed later this spring.”
Photo 1 © Hanna Biørnstad
Photo 2 - 7 © Nic Walter