• Læner mig ømt mod natten, 2022

The exhibition Læner mig ømt mod natten, curated by Amalie Vestergaard Olsen, presents eight young artists with diverse approaches to the medium of drawing. Common to these artists is that drawing functions as a tool to conjure up images of another world. The title of the exhibition is borrowed from Inger Christensen’s (1935-2009) poem of the same name. Here, Christensen refers to the enigmatic structures of the world, and the figure of the self that leans towards the uncertain, towards the future. Christensen was known for writing systemic poetry, where form was decided through adherence to strict rules and systems. Despite this there is nothing forced in the content or language, on the contrary, the poems are expansive and rich in perspective. In the same way, the works in the exhibition are decidedly different, though they all relate to drawing in one form or another. It follows that drawing must here be understood in an expanded sense. The exhibited works relate to the various forms of alienation that can reveal themselves in a society when individuals no longer fit into existing structures, and thus have to create their own alternatives. Drawing can be a form of expression that arises in response to something difficult to articulate. Through drawing, the artists shed light on dysfunctional conditions, but there are also narratives of humor and ingenuity that spark hope for the future. By working in the tension between reality and fiction, varying perceptions merge and help to seed the thought that humanity is capable of effecting change. Like Christensen, the artists also describe humankind’s close ties to nature. There is a feeling that something is corrupt in the structures of the world, but this coexists with a conciliatory envisioning of future scenarios. Through curiosity and wonder, the artists look both inwards and forwards, but also refer back through history to find answers to contemporary questions. Here they explore how modern technology affects the way we engage with the world. By examining both external and internal conflicts, the focus is on political issues related to identity, as well as reflections on different ways of living and working.
Curatorial project, Tegnerforbundet, Oslo, Norway
March, 2022
Photo: Tegnerforbundet / Øystein Thorvaldsen

Participating artists: Esra Duzen, Unn Devik, Aske Thiberg, Clara Aldén, Muhammad Shahid, Oda Skaathun, Oscar Häggström and Linda Hærnes.

Opening speech: Lærke Grøntved 
Visual identity: Tonje Lona Eriksen
Curator: Amalie Vestergaard Olsen 

Read more about the exhibition here