Andreas Emenius / When the unknown becomes familiar at Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen

Andreas Emenius / When the unknown becomes familiar

Nikolaj Kunsthal

Copenhagen

7 feb – 9 June, 2019

OPENING: THURSDAY 7th FEB / 5 – 8 pm

This spring calls for a new immersive experience in Nikolaj Kunsthal! Get up close to performers, conducting everyday rituals around a waterfountain in the Lower Gallery, and around them you can experience large-scale paintings made especially for the room. In the midst of our busy everyday life Andreas Emenius creates a space for people to calmly immerse themselves in thoughts and details, whilst surrounded by a series of physical rituals expressed by a team of performers. A continuous flow of water, dripping from the ceiling, will slowly fill the fountain in the middle of the room. Thesound of the water hitting its own surface will create the soundscape which encapsulates the whole exhibition. From unknown spiritual rituals associated with water, music and nature to the banal everyday rituals we all know. Chewing gum, podcasts and cleansing are some of the themes that, in conjunction with Nikolaj Kunsthals beautiful architecture, create the scope for Emenius’ new exhibitionWhen the Unknown Becomes Familiar. The exhibition gives the visitor an impression of some of the actions we perform in order to get closer to ourselves in an attempt to understand the impermanence which is a part of life. The artist has designed costumes especially for the exhibition, which are worn by performers inhabiting the exhibition all day as living sculptures.

“We are very happy to be able to present the exhibition, which stylistically works with the experimental and the unpredictable. It is important to be open towards many different experiences and universes in contemporary art. In this exhibition it is the immersion in the everyday life which creates a spiritual and banal content. The impression of the exhibition is further supported by the architecture combined with the artist’s visual language and freedom to create something new.”

Helene Nyborg,

artistic director of Nikolaj Kunsthal