BENANDSEBASTIAN: ’MADE IN RUINS’
Fernisering, Torsdag 26. Februar, 17-20
UDSTILLINGSPERIODE : 26. FEBRUAR – 28. MARTS, 2009
Det er en stor fornøjelse at kunne præsentere ‘benandsebastian’s første soloudstilling Made in Ruins hos bendixen contemporary art. Bag den interdisciplinære duo ‘benandsebastian’ står kunstnerne/arkitekterne Ben Clement (GB) og Sebastian de la Cour (DK). Udstillingen Made in Ruins består af en ny arkitektonisk skulptur, som endnu engang inviterer beskueren til at gå på opdagelse i ‘benandsebastian’s efterhånden velkendte og komplekse univers.
‘benandsebastian’s fascination af urbane og arkitektoniske motiver tager i udstillingen Made in Ruins udgangspunkt i en undersøgelse af dekonstruerede ruiners fragmenterede kvaliteter.
Med en smuk, og håndværksmæssigt fascinerende, spindeltrappe – der ingen steder leder hen men tværtimod synes at falde fra hinanden – illustrerer ‘benandsebastian’, hvordan der under trappens funktionelle overflade, eksisterer underliggende og komplekse konstruktioner med helt egne vidtstrakte, urbane strukturer. I den meget rumligt orienteret skulptur, står de indre og komplekse konstruktioner på forunderlig og foruroligende vis i kontrast til det, som de tilsyneladende støtter – de yderliggende balustre, indfatninger og fodpaneler. Som titlen peger på spiller tiden også en væsentlig rolle i Made in Ruins. Selvom den fragmenterede spindeltrappe står, som var den fastfrosset i en standset tid, peger den med sine åbne partier på forestillinger, der bevæger sig forbi nuet og mod fortællinger om en tid før og efter. Made in Ruins synes på mange måde, både visuelt og tematisk, at lege med spørgsmålet om magtrelationen mellem de indre og ydre konstruktioner, mellem konstruktion og dekonstruktion og endeligt mellem skønhed og forfald.Den interdisciplinære kunstnerduo ‘benandsebastian’ formår, på en ganske særegen måde, at favne over grænsen mellem kunst og arkitektur. Dette beror ikke alene på, at de kan vække beskuerens nysgerrighed og forundring. ‘benandsebastian’s værker bliver arkitektonisk og skulpturelt fascinerende, fordi de på overlegen vis kan jonglere med skalaforhold, materialevalg og en høj håndværksmæssig kvalitet. Deres værker bliver kunstnerisk interessante, fordi de ikke alene lader æstetikken regere, men netop formår at indarbejde sociale, etiske eller kulturelle bevæggrunde i deres skulpturelle værker.
Ben Clement (1981)og Sebastian de la Cour (1980) bor og arbejder i København og er begge uddannet fra The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College i London. De har de sidste tre år arbejdet sammen i duoen ‘benandsebastian’ og opnåede alene i 2008 at blive præmieret af Statens Kunstfond og vinde Politikens Talentpris for et udstillingsværk på Charlottenborg Kunsthal. ‘benandsebastian’ var udstillingsarkitekterne bag den netop afsluttede udstilling Fifty/Fifty i Rundetårn, og udstiller senere i 2009 på bl.a. Museet for Samtidskunst (Roskilde), Kunsthal Charlottenborg og Riot Pilot (København). Derudover er de bidragsydere til det nyligt udgivet kunstnertidsskrift Internationalistisk Ideale #2, i forbindelse med Arkens udstilling Utopia.
For yderligere information eller fotomateriale, kontakt venligst galleriet.
Galleriet har åbent: Tirsdag – Fredag, 12-17 og lørdag, 11-14
BENANDSEBASTIAN: ’MADE IN RUINS’
Opening Reception, Thursday February 26th, 5 – 8 p.m.
EXHIBITION PERIODE: FEBRUARY 26th – MARCH 28th, 2009
bendixen contemporary art is pleased to announce the opening of the solo exhibition Made in Ruins by ‘benandsebastian’.
The artists / architects behind the inter-disciplinary group ‘benandsebastian’ are Ben Clement (GB) and Sebastian de la Cour (DK). At their first solo exhibition at bendixen contemporary art they’ll be showing a new architectonic sculpture that once again invites the spectator to explore benandsebastian’s characteristic and complex universe.
benandsebastian’s fascination with urban and architectural subjects is evident in the exhibition Made in Ruins, where they examine the fragmented qualities of a deconstructed ruin.
‘benandsebastian’ have created a beautiful and well-crafted spindle staircase, which doesn’t seem to lead anywhere; on the contrary, it seems to fall apart. Underneath the stair’s functional steps there exist complex, underlying constructions with their own extensive urban structures. In this very spatially-orientated sculpture, the inner, complex constructions appear in a wonderful and yet disturbing contrast to the solid and coherent baluster, casing and skirting boards.
As the title Made in Ruins reveals, the subject of time is of great importance. Even though the the broken spindle staircase stands as if frozen in time, the exposed parts of the sculpture leads the imagination past the frozen present and towards unknown tales of a past and a future.
In many ways Made in Ruins seems to trifle deal with questions about the power struggle between the inner and outer constructions, between construction and deconstruction, and finally between beauty and decay.
The inter-disciplinary artist group ‘benandsebastian’ are able to embrace the boundaries between art and architecture in a very characteristic way. This is not only due to the fact that they can excite the curiosity and fascination of the spectator in a superior manner; ‘benandsebastian’s works of art become architectonical and sculpturally interesting because they can play so brilliantly with different scales, materials and have a high standard of craftsmanship. There works of art also become artistically interesting because they not only focus on aesthetics, but are also able to incorporate political, ethical and cultural motives in their sculptural works.
Ben Clement (1981) and Sebastian de la Cour (1980) live and work in Copenhagen and are both graduates from The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College in London. They have been working together for the past three years as the artist duo ‘benandsebastian’ and in 2008 received several national prizes and awards for their artworks. ‘benandsebastian’ were the exhibition designers for the recent Fifty/Fifty SE exhibition and will be participating at several other exhibitions this year, for example at the Museum of Modern Art (Roskilde), Kunsthal Charlottenborg and Riot Pilot (Copenhagen). Just recently they have also contributed to the artists’ paper Internationalistisk Ideale #2, which was released in connection to the exhibition Utopia, at Arken – Museum of Modern Art.
Please contact the gallery for further press material.
The gallery opening hours: Tuesday – Friday, 12-17 and Saturday, 11-14
bendixen contemporary art
Carl Jacobsens Vej 20, 4th Floor
2500 Valby, Denmark
(+45) 36 16 03 25
www.bendixen-art.dk.