Exhibition
Anette Gellein, Herman Breda Enkerud, Marin Håskjold og Niels Munk Plum. Curated by Una Mathiesen Gjerde
Defund the Artist that Broke Our Hearts
«Defund the Artist who Broke Our Heart»
By Anette Gellein, Herman Breda Enkerud, Marin Håskjold and Niels Munk Plum. Curated by Una Mathiesen Gjerde
We fell in love with the artist. They were so independent, so talented and full of life. We did not know if we wanted to be the artist, or just be around them. We could not help but wonder – should we become the artist?
It was spring. The sun was shining. The artist took us to a bar. They told us about their work and their philosophical interests. We were out of words – completely absorbed with the very idea that such an individual could live and breathe amongst us. We did not want to ever leave the artist, we wanted to be around them all the time. Just by association, we grew and became stronger – or so we thought.
Summer came. The heat overwhelmed us. The artist took us bathing. The water was wonderful. Swimming in the oceans whilst thinking how could this get any better? We were peaking, being young, beautiful and on top of the world. We were now totally convinced of the importance of art. Art can change society and bring love back to the planet. The artist looked us deep in the eyes and said: you’re really something special. This will be our year. Thank you for making my art possible! Our heart exploded – this is it!
The days got colder; the long summer nights were replaced by the autumn mist. The artist pulled away. They said they were busy writing applications for Kulturrådet. The next time we saw the artist, they were in a crowd. Surrounded by other artists at an opening. We tried to catch their attention, but they looked the other way. Smoking ten cigarettes, waiting outside – there was only one exit from the gallery. Finally, the artist appeared. We asked them: We might be a little bit drunk, but we really thought we had something worthwhile. The artist smiled and said: Honey, it’s not you, it’s me. I just must make sure I get that funding. Later in our studio, we felt lost and rejected: Was funding more important than bringing art and love to the planet? A single tear fell from our eyes – we could simply not accept that this was the end to our story.
Cold winter storms came over the sea. On Facebook, they posted: «I’m so grateful and humbled for receiving a one-year scholarship from Kulturrådet». All the rejected artists met in studios – why did they get the funding and not we? What is wrong with us? Is it our art or personality? Looking into each other’s eyes, we realized we did not need that funding. It was time…
Dear artist,
This is for you. Funding or not.
Xoxo
The bitter five
The bitter five
Dear Kulturrådet,
Defund the artist who broke our heart.
This exhibition has been made possible through the generous support from Kulturrådet.
Opening event
Friday 10. December 18:00-20:00
Opening hours
Saturday 11. December 12:00-16:00
Sunday 12. December 12:00-16:00
13.-19. December: Enterance by appointment