MAISTERRAVALBUENA is pleased to present the second solo show by A Kassen at the gallery.
In the series of photographs titled Encirclement, each picture is framed with the materials (glass and wood) that are present in the photographed scene. Framing is no longer simply decoration or protection of the artwork, rather it defines the composition of the photograph itself.
The Encirclements juxtapose a diverse spectrum of motifs; from highlighted architecture such as a 19th century botanical glasshouse, a medical factory by modernist architect Arne Jacobsen to temporary accumulations of garbage and obsolete materials. The tautological aspect of photography is redoubled, as the frame points also to the reproduction of the photographed setting. However, the making of the frame transforms the scene that was photographed.
Each piece is unique, it has its own setting and material, but is part of a continuous series.
Other works in the exhibition, titled Doors, consist of display cabinets made from doors, having the excessive material on display.
The new works in the exhibition present a union of physical elements, remodelled to adapt the exhibition space. Display cabinets and framed photographs is what you might expect to find presenting works of art, but in this case the representation is much more direct as a result of an abstract and dynamic transformation of materials.
A Kassen is a group consisting of the four Danish artists Christian Bretton-Meyer, Søren Petersen, Morten Steen Hebsgaard and Tommy Petersen. They often work with performativity in their installations and architectural interventions. Characteristic of their work are actions or interferences that discreetly alter the exhibition space or simple gestures that reflect complex processes.
The Exhibition is kindly sponsored by the Danish Arts Council and the Danish Embassy.
