umbrella
west coast exhibitions

Under the title Undercurrents, we have invited 5 international artists working in different fields: drawing and spatial installation, fashion, jewellery and photography, but they all have one thing in common: they have been friends for many years.

 

The exhibition aims to explore and visualise the role that the undercurrent plays both in relation to friendship and in relation to the necessary inner demarcation of the individual when it comes to taking an artistic position.

The aim is to discover the influence of different but also shared experiences and narratives, how this manifests itself in the exhibition preparations and ultimately in the exhibition space.

 

Undercurrents are movements that run beneath the surface. They are directional forces in a mass that increase or decrease, appear or disappear depending on what influences their interaction. A main current arises from their interaction and the more stable the individual currents are, the more likely it is that cyclical systems such as the Gulf Stream or monsoon will develop. If the interaction between the undercurrents gets out of balance, the system collapses - with unpredictable but likely catastrophic consequences.

 

In a cultural sense, undercurrents are understood as locally differentiated movements that form in opposition to the mainstream, often even as a reaction to it. Critical movements in particular are less concerned with maintaining the mainstream than with giving it a new direction. They don't see themselves as cyclical, but follow the idea of cultural progress and change. They see their function and legitimacy in the possibility to revise and question developments.

 

​​On a more personal level, they might even be considered unconscious factors that influence a creative process. They can be past experiences, personal beliefs, cultural background and emotional states or more subtle influences such as personal anecdotes, hidden narratives that can add layers of meaning and take the work in new directions. These currents become part of the mental and emotional landscape and affect us in ways that may not be immediately apparent.

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The exhibition is supported by Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond.