CC Audio

May amnesia never kiss us on the mouth: Only sounds that tremble through us is a multi-part research project examining how disintegrated communities bear witness to experiences of violence, loss, displacement and forced migration through performance. At CC, the work is presented as an immersive sound- and video installation consisting of three large video projections on freestanding walls and pulsating sounds. Since the early 2010s, Abbas and Abou-Rahme have collected online recordings of everyday people singing and dancing in communal spaces in Iraq, Palestine, Yemen and Syria. Accompanied by evocative sound compositions and poetic texts in both English and Arabic, the work brings these recordings together with new filmic performances created in collaboration with local dancers and musicians from Palestine. The work takes on the character of a fragmented storytelling in sound and images, interweaving disparate stories, lived experiences and rituals across different territories. The common denominator of these fractured communities is their efforts to resist their own erasure by laying claim to their right to self, space and collectivity. Zooming in on ephemeral bodily expressions and gestures, like singing or dancing, the artists pose the question: What significance lies in documenting sound and gesture through embodiment? In doing so, they point to the physical act of performance as a critical space for resilience and an ever-evolving repository of memory.

Installationen Where the soil has been disturbed består af en serie fritstående, rustede stålpaneler og opsatser af betonmursten, hvorfra tørrede, skeletagtige planter stikker op. Billeder, tegninger, arkivnoter og printede screenshots af kunstnernes poesi er monteret på panelerne. Trykkene er arrangeret i overlappende konstellationer, der refererer til det digitale vindue på en computerskærm. Planterne i installationen er syriske tidsler; en plante, der er hjemmehørende i Palæstina. Af mange opfattes tidslen som en uønsket plante. Men for palæstinenserne har planten gennem lange tider fungeret som en kilde til vild mad og naturmedicin. Planten vokser ofte, hvor jorden er blevet ‘forstyrret’, og kan danne en næsten uigennemtrængelig barriere. Når tidslen dør og går i forrådnelse, vender dens næringsstoffer tilbage til jorden og giver næring til andre former for frø og vegetation, der ligger skjult i jorden. For kunstnerne symboliserer tidslen hårdførhed og modstandskraft i forskellige former. Over installationen hænger værket Low cloud hum - en serie lette tekstilbannere med mættede billeder af planter. Hævet over gulvet og svajende i luften gentager de farvepaletten i de nærliggende videoprojektioner.

The installation Where the soil has been disturbed consists of a series of freestanding steel panels interspersed with concrete bricks, from which dried, skeletal plants seem to grow. Images, drawings, archival notes, and printed screenshots of the artists’ poetry is mounted on the panels. The prints are arranged in overlapping constellations, referencing the digital window on a computer desktop screen. The plants in the installation are dried Syrian thistles, a plant native to Palestine. For some, the thistle is considered an undesirable plant, but for Palestinians it has long served as a wild source of food and medicine. The plant often grows where the soil has been disturbed and can form an almost impenetrable barrier. When the thistles die and decay, their nutrients return to the soil and nourish other dormant or suppressed forms of seeds and vegetation. For the artists, the thistle symbolises resilience and resistive power in various forms. The installation is joined by the work Low cloud hum, a series of light, textile banners imbued with saturated images of plants. Subtly swaying in the air, they echo the color palette of the nearby video projections.

May amnesia never kiss us on the mouth: Only sounds that tremble through us er et flerdelt researchprojekt, der undersøger, hvordan opløste samfund bearbejder vold, tab og fordrivelse gennem performative handlinger. På CC præsenteres værket som en omsluttende lyd- og videoinstallation, der består af tre store videoprojektioner på fritstående vægge og et pulserende lydbillede. Siden begyndelsen af 2010’erne har Abbas og Abou-Rahme indsamlet onlineoptagelser af helt almindelige mennesker, der synger og danser på offentlige steder i Irak, Palæstina, Yemen og Syrien. I værket bringes disse optagelser sammen med nye filmiske performances skabt af kunstnerne og i samarbejde med lokale dansere og musikere fra Palæstina, stemningsskabende lydkompositioner og brudstykker af kunstnernes egne poetiske tekster på både engelsk og arabisk. I sin helhed får værket karakter af en fragmenteret historiefortælling i lyd og billeder, hvor vidt forskellige historier, levede erfaringer og ritualer på tværs af territorier flettes sammen.  Fællesnævneren for disse opløste fællesskaber er deres bestræbelser på at modstå deres egen udslettelse ved at gøre krav på deres ret til selv, sted og kollektivitet. Gennem kropslige og performative handlinger gør de krav på rummet, selvet og fællesskabet. Ved at zoome ind på kroppens flygtige udtryk som sang eller dans stiller kunstnerne spørgsmålet: Hvilken magt ligger der i at dokumentere lyd og kropslig bevægelse? Hvordan kan vi forstå den bevægende krop som både et rum for modstand og et evigt voksende arkiv af erindring?

The song is the call, and the land is calling præsenterer den palæstinensiske kunstnerduo Basel Abbas og Ruanne Abou-Rahme. Udstillingen - der finder sted samtidig på både CC og Glyptoteket - dykker dybt ned i menneskets kollektive hukommelse og undersøger kulturens transformative kraft. Gennem video- og lydinstallationer samt skulpturelle arkivværker bevæger udstillingen sig i grænselandet mellem udslettelse og tilbagevenden, tab og modstand, kolonihistorier og håbet om nye sociale virkeligheder. På CC viser Abbas og Abou-Rahme en ny og steds-specifik version af de tre værker; den altomsluttende lyd- og videoinstallation May amnesia never kiss us on the mouth: Only sounds that tremble through us (2020-2022), den skulpturelle installation Where the soil has been disturbed (2022) samt tekstilværket Low cloud hum (2023). Med et særligt fokus på sangens, dansens og den bevægende krops radikale kraft, trækker værkerne forbindelser mellem fortællinger om modstandskamp og fælles drømme om frigørelse på tværs af forskellige territorier, landskaber, historier og politiske sammenhænge. Med poesi og politisk tænkning udforsker Abbas og Abou-Rahme, hvordan beretninger om kollektiv modstand giver genlyd i menneskehedens historie og nutidige kulturer. Selv beskriver kunstnerne deres værker som modstands-poesi – en formulering, der taler ind i kunstnernes vedvarende interesse for, hvordan fællesskaber kan mobilisere håb og selvbestemmelse selv i politisk undertrykkende systemer.   Om Basel Abbas & Ruanne Abou-Rahme Basel Abbas (f. Nicosia, Cypern, 1983) og Ruanne Abou-Rahme (f. Boston, USA, 1983) bor og arbejder mellem New York City, USA, og Ramallah, Palæstina. Med en baggrund i lyd og eksperimentel film har de udviklet en internationalt anerkendt praksis, der omfatter både video, lyd, billede, tekst og performance.   CC \ Glyptoteket The song is the call, and the land is calling er den anden udstilling i det treårige partnerskabsprogram mellem CC og Glyptoteket (2023-2025). Under titlen Hosting Histories: Revisiting Cultural Heritage of the Middle East and Beyond genbesøger udstillingsrækken antikkens kulturarv og dens betydning i dag.

Filminstallationen er et udsagn om nærvær, der ved at følge 29 menneskers forskellige arbejdsprocesser over syv dage placerer publikum midt i Project Art Works’ atelier i Hastings, England. Atelieret tilbyder et befriende, ikke-hierarkisk miljø, hvor ordløse sprog bliver forstærket. I omgangen med materialerne afsløres den enkeltes essens. Et penselstrøg på et papir, en hvinen af afrevet tape, ordene ”jeg elsker dig” er alle en måde at sige ”jeg er her” på. Selvopdagelsen, åbenheden over for den og sårbarheden er grundlæggende for arbejdet med at opbygge tillid mellem kunstnere/skabere, formidlere, støttepersoner, fortalere og familier – i atelieret og i samfundet. Arbejdet handler om at sætte mennesker i stand til at træffe valg og om at skabe et miljø, hvor disse valg kan blive realiseret. Værdien og virkningen af at blive set på sine egne betingelser – både i og uden for atelieret – er drivkraft for forandring i livet og i støttesystemerne. Arbejdet for forståelse, synlighed og repræsentation er fundamentalt.

This film installation is a statement of presence, revealing the working processes of 29 people across seven days – placing the audience at the centre of the Project Art Works’ studio in Hastings, UK. The studio offers a freeing, non-hierarchical environment in which wordless languages are amplified. Interactions with and through materials reveal the essence of each person. The brush of ink across paper, a screech of peeling tape, the words ‘I love you’ – any of these might be a way to say ‘I am here’. This self-revelation, the responsiveness to it and the vulnerability to sit in a place of ‘not knowing’ are the foundations of the work, building trust between artists/makers, facilitators, support workers, advocates, and families, in the studio and beyond. The work depends on enabling people to make choices, creating an environment in which those choices can be realised. The value and impact of being seen on one’s own terms, in and out of the studio, drives change in life and in the systems that support us. The work towards understanding, visibility, representation is fundamental.

Hvad er frihed for dig? Møder du barrierer i din hverdag?Er du afhængig af andre for at gøre det, du gerne vil? Med værket Cosmology of Care visualiserer Project Art Works-kunstneren Kate Adams de muligheder og barrierer, som det offentlige system kan indeholde. Systemet er komplekst og kræver kendskab og vedholdenhed at være i. Kunstnerne fra kunstnerkollektivet Projects Art Works er mennesker med neurodivergens, og flere navigerer derfor dagligt i systemet, enten alene eller med støtte fra andre.  Samlet set giver hver cirkel et indblik i, hvilke systemer og strukturer, der kan tilgås (eller ej) for at opnå den støtte, der skal til for at leve et frit liv. Den inderste cirkel repræsenterer individet og det nærmeste netværk. Derefter følger strukturer og institutioner, som kan påvirke den enkelte. Den yderste cirkel repræsenterer liv og frihed, hvad vi bruger vores tid på, hvem vi er sammen med samt andre aspekter af livet som mennesker, der ikke har brug for støtte, måske tager for givet.  I udstillingen vises Cosmology of Care både i en dansk og i en engelsk kontekst. De repræsenterer det offentlige systems støtte til mennesker med funktionsnedsættelser og neurodivergens samt deres familie og netværk.

What does freedom mean to you?Do you face barriers in your everyday life?Are you dependent on others to do the things you want to do in life?  In Cosmology of Care, Project Art Works artist Kate Adams visualises the possibilities and barriers of the social care systems that many individuals and families rely on.  The systems are complex, and navigating them requires knowledge, advocacy and persistence. Project Art Works artists are people who are neurodivergent and many have to navigate the system on a daily basis, either on their own or with others to support them.  The circles and layers of the cosmology provide insight into potential structures and systems that can be accessed (or not) to obtain the right care and freedom of choice in life. At the centre is the individual, alongside their family or caregiver. Around them are various structures and institutions that affect the individual. The outer circle represents life, freedom and many aspects of life that people who do not need support may take for granted.  In the exhibition, Cosmology of Care represents both the Danish and the British support systems for disabled and neurodivergent communities and their families.

Velkommen til Residential – en udstilling skabt i samarbejde med det britiske kunstnerkollektiv Project Art Works. Her kan du udforske et væld af farver, teksturer, mønstre og motiver i en salonophængning af malerier samt selv være med til at skabe kunst. Udstillingen udforsker kunstens potentiale for at udtrykke sig, og den skaber nye rum for fællesskaber. Her kan alle uanset sprog, krop og evner udforske materialer og processer, skabe forbindelser med andre og dokumentere at have været her gennem kunsten. Project Art Works er et kollektiv af neurodiverse kunstnere, der gennem arbejdet med kunst, aktivisme og social omsorg undersøger kunstnerisk udtryk og repræsentation som en menneskeret. De har gennem de sidste 25 år opbygget en samling på over 6000 værker skabt af neurodivergente kunstnere med forskellige typer af komplekse støttebehov. Værkerne er et stærkt visuelt vidnesbyrd om mennesker, der ofte er skjulte og marginaliseret i samfundet. Residential afspejler Project Art Works’ kollaborative metode med værkstedet for samskabelse. Her kan CCs gæster prøve flere af kunstnerkollektivets metoder på egen krop. De værker, som samskabes i udstillingen i løbet af hele perioden, vil blive hængt op og dokumenterer gæsternes deltagelse.  Kollektivets arbejde trækker tråde tilbage til banebrydende kunstnere som tyske Joseph Beuys og danske Poul Gernes, der satte fokus på kunstens og kunstinstitutionens sociale potentiale og ansvar for at omdanne de strukturer, der former vores liv. Samarbejdet med Project Art Works er særegent i en dansk sammenhæng. Det vil på sigt forme CCs praksis og arbejde med at øge repræsentationen i kunstverdenen såvel som i samfundet og dermed styrke CCs position som en levende institution, hvor alle mennesker kan tage del i kunstoplevelsen.    Kunstneriske workshopsMed udgangspunkt i kollektivets metoder vil CC starte lignende initiativer i samarbejde med Project Art Works, hvor neurodiverse grupper inviteres til at deltage i kreative udforskninger af kunstinstitutionens potentiale. Det er i løbet af udstillingsperioden også muligt at deltage i åbne workshops, der giver indsigt i Project Art Works’ metoder. Du kan få yderligere oplysninger hos udstillingsværterne.   Om Project Art WorksProject Art Works er et kollektiv af neurodiverse kunstnere og aktivister fra Hastings i England. Med over 6000 kunstværker rummer Project Art Works’ arkiv organisationens historie samt en omfattende samling af samtidskunst til udlån. Samlingen spænder over malerier, grafik og tegninger i en bred vifte af billedkunstneriske udtryk fra det figurative til detabstrakte. Project Art Works deltog ved documenta 15 i Kassel i sommeren 2022 og har i de seneste år samarbejdet med mange forskellige kunst-institutioner i Europa, bl.a. Tate Liverpool og Museo Reina Sofia. Residential er tidligere blevet vist på Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art i Gateshead, UK.

Welcome to Residential, an exhibition and a making space created in collaboration with the British artist collective Project Art Works. Explore the whirl of colours, textures, patterns and motifs in paintings hung salon style and also take part in artistic co-creation in the open making space. Exploring art’s potential for self-expression, Residential builds new spaces for communities. Here, everyone – regardless of language, body and ability – can explore creativity, materials and processes, and their connection to others, leaving evidence of their presence through art. Project Art Works is a collective of neurodiverse artists working in the intersection of art, activism and social care, exploring the human rights of artistic expression and representation. Over the past 25 years, they have built a collection of more than 6000 works created by neurodivergent artists. Their works are a powerful physical and visual testament of people who are too often marginalized. Residential reflects Project Art Works’ collaborative approach by offering an open art-making space where visitors can try out the collective’s methods firsthand. Works created during the exhibition will be hung, documenting visitors’ participation. The collective’s work links to pioneers like the German artist Joseph Beuys and the Danish artist Poul Gernes, who focused on the social potential and responsibility of art and art institutions to transform the structures that shape our lives. The project is unique in a Danish context and will shape CC’s practice and work going forward to increase representation in the art world and in society at large, bolstering CC’s position as a vibrant institution where everyone can share in the art experience.   Art workshopsBased on the method developed by Project Art Works, CC will undertake similar initiatives in collaboration with them, inviting neurodivergent groups to participate in creative explorations of the potential of the art institution. During the exhibition, you can participate in open art workshops that provide insight into Project Art Works’ methods. Ask an exhibition host for more information.   About Project Art WorksProject Art Works is a collective of neurodiverse artists and activists from Hastings, England. With over 6000 artworks, the Project Art Works archive represents the organisation’s history and an expansive collection of contemporary art available for loan. The collection includes paintings, prints and drawings encompassing a wide range of approaches to image-making from figuration to abstraction. Project Art Works participated in the latest documenta fifteen in Kassel, in summer 2022. In recent years, they have collaborated with many different art institutions in Europe, including Tate Liverpool and Museo Reina Sofia. Residential was previously exhibited at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, UK.

Træd ind i en verden af lys, farver og monumentale installationer i Light & Space, når CC for første gang i Europa samler en lang række af den internationale kunstscenes absolutte verdensstjerner i en 5.000 m2 stor udstilling om den amerikanske Light and Space bevægelse. I dette afsnit kan du høre CCs direktør Marie Nipper fortælle om Light and Space bevægelsens historie, og dens betydning for den kunst, der bliver skabt i dag.

In this episode of CC Audio you meet the renowned artist, Carsten Höller, in conversation with former director of Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Daniel Birnbaum. The two have known each other for decades and have worked together on several exhibitions and book projects. The conversation is based on Carsten Höller’s exhibition Reproduction at CC and unfolds themes such as the exhibition as an experiment, the artwork being ‘unsaturated’, and notions of reproduction in a broader context. The German-Belgian artist is renowned for incorporating elements from playgrounds, zoos and amusement parks into his work, often juxtaposing them with scientific investigations and experiments. Carsten Höller has a PhD in biology, and his scientific background is crucial to his artistic practice where his main concerns are the experiment, the body, natural science and human behaviour. His large-scale installations engage and affect us, at times they even experiment with us – in merry-go-rounds, roller coasters, salt baths, strobe light, scents etc. In the exhibition Reproduction at CC, Höller examines the theme of ’reproduction’, adopting an approach which is at once scientific and artistic. Created and produced by Copenhagen Contemporary in collaboration with Astrid Hald.

In this episode of CC Audio you meet the acclaimed art historian and founder of Performa RoseLee Goldberg, as she shares her thoughts on the history of performance art, its role in art institutions today, and her definition of success. Performa was founded as an organisation in 2004 by RoseLee Goldberg whose time-honoured research into performance art has proved epoch-making for the genre. As the leading organisation dedicated to research into performance art, Performa addresses the role of this art form in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. At the heart of Performa is the biennial of the same name that presents new works commissioned specifically for the biennial involving dance, film, music, and architecture. The exhibition Performa Archive at Copenhagen Contemporary offers a rare glimpse into the legendary works created for and performed at the performance biennial in New York, and marks Performa’s indisputable significance for the development and propagation of performance art within the past two decades.Created and produced by Copenhagen Contemporary in collaboration with Astrid Hald.

Marianna Simnett presents her work The Needle and the Larynx, an extraordinary tale about a girl, played by Simnett herself, wanting her voice deepened. A voice surgeon injects Botox into the girl’s larynx, paralysing the muscles controlling the pitch and causing her voice to be deepened for several months. Listen to her sharing her thoughts on exposing her own body to a radical procedure, on the voice as an identity-building force capable of being mutated, and on her fondness of dark fabled universes. Created and produced by Copenhagen Contemporary in collaboration with Astrid Hald.

Marianna Simnett presents her work Faint with Light. How she first used fainting in her art, about the monstrous sound that took her completely by surprise, and her examination of fainting as a phenomenon: a personal association to her grandfather, who, during the Holocaust, avoided death by fainting at just the right moment, and traditional culture-historical views of fainting as a sign of the notorious female complaint of hysteria. Created and produced by Copenhagen Contemporary in collaboration with Astrid Hald.