In 2001, I invited Carol McNicoll to exhibit at Bergen Kunsthall, a fine art institution which had never previously opened its doors to craft. Faithful as she has been to craft's connection with everyday life through making ceramics that can be used, her task was a twofold one: To present objects that break down the barriers between applied art and fine art, and to challenge the White Cube aesthetics and ideology that permeate the institution. On the basis of McNicoll’s exhibition and the criticism with which it was received, I will discuss the following: What happens when craft enters a typical fine art arena like Bergen Kunsthall? What does the exhibition tell us about potential strategies for craft? What kind of art is craft?

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