Sticks on Fire
Hands in Bloom
Solo Exhibition at 00.00, Seoul, South Korea 10th - 26th of November 2023
Curated by Shin Sumin and Kim Min
More information below the images
The Cleaner
Sticks, yoke, bucket, stones, jewelry, burned wood, custommade shoes - jute, blanket, jester-bells, leaves, painted washboard
The House, 2023
TC2 woven tapestry made at Huhmarkangas Studio, Finland, acrylic paint on jute, floral necklace
Embers, 2023
Acrylic paint and pastel on jute
De varme hænder ( Hot hands!)
TC2-woven tapestry made at Huhmarkangas Studio, Finland, cotton,
jewelry, heart hangers, sticks and flora, work gloves, wooden shoes
De varme hænder (Hot hands !), (3), 2023
TC2-woven tapestry made at Huhmarkangas Studio, Finland, cotton, lighter leash with “Be Happy” lighter
Sticks on fire, hands in bloom
Coal and pastel on paper, natural string, jewelry
Flying T-shirt (Grief is where the flowers bloom)
Pencil on paper
Installation view :
De varme hænder ( Hot hands!) Carved and burned wood
& Embers, 2 acrylic paint and pastel on jute
Suddenly the sky was bright
TC2-woven tapestry, burned wood, yarn, matches, iron
Burnout Man / PUSH! PUSH! PUSH! PUSH!
Ecoprint on fabric, hay, fabric scrap, jewelry, wood
Documentation by Dohyun Park
Exhibition text by Junghyun Kwon
(English translation below)
생성을기원하는 강인하고유쾌하며기이한주술
올리비아로드배스의개인전불붙은나뭇가지와손에피어나는꽃들 은역사와신화속의<>모티프로서불로태우는것 을현대적으로해석하여 오늘날의차별과갈등을반전시키는새‘’, 로운연대의풍경을상상한다 조각과태피스트리 드로잉등으로구성된설치작품은북유럽. , 전통의례 지역의자연물 유럽의전통복장 사회적사건을넘나들며과거와현재가교차하, , , 는이야기를펼쳐낸다. * * *커다란불이활활타오른다 사람들은손을맞잡고불주위를돌며춤을춘다 덴마크에서는. . 해가긴하지즈음의성요한탄신일에맞춰불을피우고손을맞잡고돌며춤을추는전통이이어져오고있다 캠프파이어를연상시키는이유쾌한의례는오늘날에는즐거운축제에불. 과하지만 한때는마녀로몰린여성을불태워죽이는살인의현장이었다 사회적소수자에대, . 한집단의폭력과광기가만들어낸참혹한소멸의자리였다.배스는그전통을모티프로현대적모닥불의식을치른다 태피스트리로직조한풍경이모닥. 불처럼피어오르고소멸뒤에남은재처럼자연물이흩어져존재한다 건물사이로자동차가. 불타떨어지고 그주위로장식적인신발을신은이들이손을맞잡고돌며춤을춘다 그신, . 발은궁정광대의방울달린신발이기도하고노동자가신던나막신 이기도하다 한편(sabot). 때로는슬픈사연과함께 때로는공포를일으키는존재로등장하는허수아비는덩그러니놓, 여텅빈자리를응시한다 그주위로모래와돌 풀과꽃 나뭇가지와갈대가흩어져소멸의. , , 자리를감싼다 그것은모든것이타고난뒤의쓸쓸한폐허처럼보이기도하지만 자연물이. , 언제나지니고있는치유의힘을언뜻내비친다. 배스의작품은씨실과날실로엮인태피스트리의짜임처럼뒤엉켜이어져오는차별과억압을가시화한다 이차별과억압은과거에머무르지않으며 오늘날새로운마녀들 을향해지속. , ‘’되고있다 특히나이든여성 유색여성 빈곤여성 원주민여성 이민자여성을향할뿐만. , , , , 아니라여성에국한되지않은성소수자 저소득층 노동자 이민자등의사회적약자에게까지, , , 이어진다 작품의제목이기도한따뜻한손 은덴마크에서간호사를포함한돌봄노동종사자. ‘’를비유하는표현이다 의료술을가리키는차가운기술 과대비되어엄마. ‘(cold technology)’의손길처럼따뜻하게환자를어루만지는간호사의역할을표현한다 그말은간호사에대한. 찬사처럼들리지만 실은간호노동의전문성을숨기는차별적인표현이다 배스는그양가적, . 이고애매한표현아래에깔려있는차별의구조를수면위로끌어올린다. 그러므로이것은신화와정치가뒤섞여펼쳐지는현대적제의다 여성의수공예적노동을상. 기시키는태피스트리와나무를깎아만든부조 일상에서주워모은자연물이어우러져소멸, 을위로하고생성을기원한다 모든것이타고남은잿더미에서새로운꽃이피어나기를고대. 하며염원한다 신발을신기고실을감싸고꽃과나무를두르며소멸의자리를어루만지지만. , 부드럽다기보다는강인하고기이한 손길로새로운생명을불어넣는다 슬픔의자리는(queer) . 저항의전초기지가되고 억압의상징은반란의이미지로변모한다 이유쾌하고두려움없는, . 마녀는작품곳곳에숨겨있는유머러스한미소가상징하듯이폐허에서다시생명이싹트기를유쾌하게긍정한다. 배스는마녀 라불리며핍박받은여성들부터따뜻한손 으로불리며차별받는여성들까지시‘’‘’대와문화를넘나들며이름불리지않은여성들의이야기를직조한다 이로써그들이손을맞. 잡고연대하는미래를그려나간다 그녀의작품제목슬픔은꽃이피어나는곳 처럼재가된. “”자리에서새롭게피어날연대의싹을기다린다.
English:
A Strong, Joyous, and Strange Spell for Invoking Creation
Olivia Rode Hvass's solo exhibition <Sticks on Fire, Hands in Bloom> offers a modern interpretation of "burning" as a motif in history and mythology. The exhibition imagines a new landscape of solidarity that reverses contemporary discrimination and conflict. The installation, which consist of sculptures, tapestries, and drawings, tell a story that intersects the past and the present, drawing on Nordic traditional rituals, local natural objects, European costumes, and social events.
A large fire blazes brightly. People dance around it, holding hands. In Denmark, a tradition of lighting bonfires and dancing around them has been passed down for centuries, around the time of St. John's Day, when the days are longest. Once a solemn ritual reminiscent of a campfire, this festival has now become a mere amusement, but it was once the scene of murder, where women accused of being witches were burned alive. It was a place of horrific destruction created by collective fear and persecution of a society against a minority. Even today, at times, the festival continues the history of sin by burning effigies of witches, mocking hatred.
Olivia's work is profoundly inspired by this tradition, transforming the bonfire into a modern ritual that interweaves myth and reality. Tapestries of landscapes rise up like bonfires, and natural objects are scattered like ashes left after destruction. Cars burn and fall between buildings, and people wearing decorative shoes dance around them, holding hands. The shoes are both the bells of the court jester and the clogs of the worker. A scarecrow, representing a witch, stands with its arms outstretched, as if to embrace new life. Sand, stones, grass, flowers, branches, and reeds are scattered around it, surrounding the place of destruction. It may look like a desolate ruin after everything has been burned. Yet, it also hints at the healing power that nature always possesses.
Olivia's work visualizes the enduring threads of discrimination and oppression, woven into the very fabric of society like the warp and weft of a tapestry. This discrimination and oppression does not stay in the past, but continues to be directed at new "witches" today. It is directed not only at elderly women, women of color, poor women, indigenous women, and immigrant women, but also at social minorities such as LGBTQ+ people, low-income people, workers, and immigrants, not limited to women.
The title of the work, "warm hands" is an expression that refers to caregivers in Denmark, including nurses. It expresses the role of nurses who gently caress patients like a mother's touch, in contrast to "cold technology" referring to medical techniques. The phrase sounds like a compliment to nurses, but it is actually a discriminatory expression that hides the professionalism of nursing labor. Bass brings to the surface the structure of discrimination hidden beneath that ambivalent and ambiguous expression.
Therefore, this is a modern ritual in which myth and politics are intertwined. Tapestries that recall women's artisanal labor, wood carvings, and natural objects gathered from everyday life are combined to comfort destruction and pray for creation. It longs for and anticipates new flowers to bloom from the ashes of everything that has been burned. While putting on shoes, wrapping thread, and surrounding with flowers and trees, they caress the place of destruction, but they breathe new life into it with a strong and queer touch rather than a gentle one. The place of sadness becomes a base for resistance, and the symbol of oppression transforms into an image of rebellion. This cheerful and fearless witch, as symbolized by the humorous smile hidden in the work, joyfully affirms that life will sprout again from the ruins. Her work is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always the possibility of new beginnings.
Olivia weaves the stories of unnamed women from different times and cultures, from women persecuted as "witches" to women discriminated against as "warm hands" By doing so, she envisions a future in which they will unite. Like the title of her work "Where Sadness Blooms" she waits for the buds of solidarity to bloom from the ashes.
Written by Kwon jung-hyun
Translation by Park Ja-pyeong
Translation by Park Ja-pyeong
----- Press material ---
STICKS ON FIRE, HANDS IN BLOOM
by Olivia Rode Hvass
10th - 26th of November, 2023
at 00.00
8 Seoungbuk-ro 2-gil, Seoul, South Korea
Curated by Shin Sumin and Kim Min
Press Release
Sticks on Fire, Hands in Bloom is a solo exhibition / installation by Olivia Rode Hvass consisting of painted walls, flora and burned sticks collected in the Gangwond-do province. work-gloves and wooden shoes. In the midst of the installation you find multiple works, drawings, sculpture and the digitally woven tapestry series De varme hænder (Hot hands !), (2023) - a tale of cross-historical rebellion and rituals towards environmental and social change, where stick figures dance in a witchy circle around a burning car, and where mystical figures grow out of the ashes and remains of previous struggles.Through the usage of myths and fairytales, Hvass examines the notion of burning it all to the ground.
In 00.00 Hvass lingers on the moment after the storm. Where embers still glow in the grass, and mold begins to spread. What sprouts from the ashes of the new?
Olivia Rode Hvass (b.1995, DK) (she/her, they/them) is a Copenhagen based artist with a BA from the Jutland Academy of Fine Arts (2021) and a masterclass in TC2 weaving with Professor Corrie van Eijk-Doktor, Drachten NL. Hvass’ works in a crossfield between textile, drawing, installation and sculptural work, with craftsmanship and storytelling as a red thread.
Hvass’ work is concerned with myth and legend bleeding into the hyperreal fabric of modern human society, curious about the complex networks of thousands of years of storytelling and tradition looming just under the asphalt of the ever-growing cities of today.
Their work has an underlying humor which invites the viewer inside.
The exhibition at 00.00 will be Hvass' international debut. Hvass has previously exhibited at various Danish platforms and institutions such as Kunsthal Aarhus, Kunsthal 6100, Kunsthal NORD, Sydhavn Station, Ladder Space, and Archway Nightlands Connector. In 2024 Hvass will exhibit at Skovgaard Museet (DK), Tranen (DK) and Rønnebæksholm (DK). In 2023 Hvass received the Danish Arts Foundation's work grant.
Opening hours
10th - 26th November 2023
Tuesday – Saturday:
13:00 – 19:00
Sunday and Monday off
Fernissage
10th of November
Celebration from 16:00 - 20:00
The exhibition is made with generous support by the Danish Art Foundation
and the tapestries are made in Studio Huhmarkangas, Finland
Thank you Sumin and Min for the invitation, thank you Sophia for making it all happen in the first place. Thank you Søren from Snedkerværktøj at Nørrebro, Copenhagen. Thank you Ulva, for eternal advice and dialogue. Thank you Maria for teaching the theater painter skills, and for driving all the time. Thank you Mads and Maiken ! For coming all the way to Korea with me, and for assisting with the exhibition !
