Hotel de Rome, Behrenstraße 37, Berlin
Three years since her exhibition Stendhal Syndrome
with Circle Culture, a showcase that included an installation referring
to the artist’s presentation during Biennale di Venezia, Katrin
Fridriks is back in Berlin with a new show produced in collaboration
with AvantArte. Coinciding with Berlin’s Gallery Weekend, the Icelandic
artist will be presenting WASTE, a conceptual exhibition that will be
inaugurated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Gudlaugur
Thor Thordarson on April 26, 5:30 pm at Circle Culture.
Fully
focused on the environmental issues, the climate change, and the
upsetting pollution and waste disposal problems around the globe, the
new body of work is directly connecting to her most recent Waste edition
that was produced with AvantArte. Taking the leftovers, the waste of
her painting process, as the base for exciting new pieces and concepts,
the artist is pointing the importance of revaluation of what we consider
waste and the endless possibilities of recycling and reusing.
With
every step of the process being an important gesture that could
possibly inspire global change, the new show is focused on sending a
universal message of our strong link to the nature and our dependence on
its resources. The works exhibited are prints of the photographs of her
studio space floor, screenprinted on gold and silver emergency
blankets. Not new to using the reflective surface to accent her
creations and message, the new pieces are reinventing other recurring
elements, such as micro and macro perspectives or her signature leak and
fractal painting techniques. Employing the basic first aid kit item as
the canvas for the new pieces, Fridriks created an instant sense of
urgency and importance to the subject she’s touching with this body of
work. With two colors symbolizing cold and warmth, the opposites which
are continuously shifting sides globally, the artist and her team
developed a complex narrative that leads to the presentation of this
powerful oeuvre.
Starting with custom designed invitations as an
introduction, and ending with the gallery presentation, the artist is
taking the visitors on a thought provoking journey by simply indicating
the elements that can be associated with the subjects she wants to start
the dialog about. Although her work always implied natural forms or the
landscapes of her native Iceland, the use of foil as canvas relates to
the hi-tech time we are living in, time of accelerated space exploration
progress, reminding us of the great cosmos we are part of. The
exhibition itself comprises of 68 examples of prints on foil, fitting
the packaging that are sent out as an invitation for this event.
Evidently resembling the original packaging of an object used to save
human lives in most extreme situations, the pieces are striking
reminders of the emergency to preserve our environment.
The show will also include small sculptural pieces that will showcase the concept of Waste editions through semi-figurative pieces representing masks, as well as premiere the Wasted Pills series that is bringing up the sensitive issue of pharmaceutical and biohazardous refuse disposal.
This
conceptual show will be held simultaneously with a painting showcase
that will be hosted at Hotel de Rome Berlin. Both the exhibition and
related events on Gallery Weekend in Berlin are part of Icelandic
embassy’s program on the 100th anniversary of sovereignty.
Text by Sasha Bogojev, 2018
In collaboration with:
