Gestus & A Private View

December 6, 2013 - January 3

Two solo shows:
Morten Jacobsen: Gestus
Erik van der Weijde: A Private View

Opening: December 6, 17:00 - 22:00

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Erik van der Weijde
Erik van der Weijde will be showing A PRIVATE VIEW for the first time in this format. This installation comprises of two separate works that aim to create a dialogue. Both with each other, as with the viewer.

Obersalzberg (2012) is a looped slideshow of photographs, taken by the artist, on the Obersalzberg in Berchtesgaden. The images show the remains of Hitler’s notorious Berghof villa and give an impression of the view that could be seen through the huge window, which was the largest in Europe at the time.

Privacy Settings 2013) is a looped digital presentation showing 30 images of the artists son, while asleep. All pictures were taken during one month and give an intimate view of a little boy in all kinds of poses.

The installation touches upon recurring themes in Van der Weijde’s work, such as family, voyeurism the Third Reich and the roles of photography.

Morten Jacobsen
The idea for Gestus originated from what is possibly a fanciful tale about the conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth and later the painter Vilhelm Hammershøi.

It could all very well be a load of nonsense. A good while ago a former teacher told me a story, which at the time did not make a big impression on me (though, it would later). The story was about a scandal that had taken place in one of art’s finest arenas: Hamburger Bahnhoff.

At a book reception in honour of the pivotal character, Joseph Kosuth, the artist himself appeared in his usual dark clothes ready to be applauded. However, it quickly went all wrong. Instead of the usual ceremonial tribute and a signed book for the lucky few, the séance turned into an (involuntary) performance by the protagonist. The shadowy result is an unexpected signature. Someone must have written something of great significance. What was written, we will never know. For Kosuth was thorough, and selected pages were ripped out of all copies of the book – every single one! I don’t know what book it was, or which pages were removed. But the uncertainty of the episode has since formed the basis of many ideas for me.

The rage Kosuth generated, and his desperate attempts at changing the meaning of the situation, signal a paradox. Besides the fact that secrets are obviously more interesting that what is revealed, it shows that iconoclasm as a concept does not work. In the art world, criticism is transformed into gestures. And this is the moral of the story.

And whether the Kosuth story is true or not is not that important. For art is about authenticity, not facts. Yes, art is about the mythical and not reality. And remember, the important thing is not whether something is true or not. The important thing is: how it functions.

Frederiksberg, nov., 2013
Morten Jacobsen