The works of Henrik Olesen is taking form as posters, sculptures or architectural interventions. Whether a poster of a homosexual cat or a fragile re-construction of a sculpture by Sol LeWitt, the process demonstrates a de-construction in the notions of authenticity and cultural production. What is brought into focus is the representation of minority groups in the context of history, contemporary society and the institution of art.
The works of architectural interventions can be exampled by spacial dimensions reduced to confront the body proportions: doors and passages are made smaller or blocked, or objects are squeezed in between constructed new walls. These markings demonstrates territories and borderlines as they appear in the social landscape of today. The interventions reflects how public laws and definitions is categorising certain groups in our contemporary culture, displayed as poverty lines or anti-homosexual restrictions.
By using cheap and pre-fabricated materials like styrofoam and cardboard, the fragility of the works brings into question the stability in the constructions of our cultural surroundings.
| Biography
- born 1967 in Esbjerg, DK
- lives and works in Berlin, D
- 1989 – 1996
- The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Kopenhagen, DK
- 1995 – 1997
- Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Städelschule,
- Frankfurt a. M., Klasse Christa Näher
- 1996
- DAAD Scholarship, Städelschule
| Solo Exhibitions (selected):
2004
- Secession, Vienna, Austria, (cat.)
2003
- "1935 1922", Sprengel Museum Hannover, Germany (cat.), Kunstverein Salzburg, Austria
- "Hosni Mubarak, Aaron McKinney, Richmond, Belgrad", Städtisches Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, D
- "6 oder 7 neue Arbeiten", Klosterfelde, Berlin, D
2002
- Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Köln, D
- "There are two temperatures: one outside, one inside", Kirsten Pieroth/Henrik Olesen (collaboration), Galleria Franco Noero, Torino, I
2001
- Studiogalerie, Kunstverein Braunschweig, D
2000
- Anton Kern Gallery, New York, NY (mit Marcel Odenbach)
- Klosterfelde, Berlin, D
- rraum, Frankfurt/M., D
- H.M. Klosterfelde, Hamburg, D
1999
- Galleria Franco Noero, Turin, I
- OTTO, Kopenhagen, DK
1998
- Klosterfelde, Berlin, D
1997
- Henrik Olesen/Sean Snyder (collaboration), Galleri Campbells Occasionally, Kopenhagen DK
1996
- 4. Meike Behm zeigt Henrik Olesen, Frankfurt a. M., D
| Group Exhibitions (selected):
2004
- "Communauté", Institut d´art contemporain, Frac Rhône Alpes, Villeurbanne, France
2003
- "World Watchers", Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, Berlin, Kunsthaus Dresden, Germany (cat.)
- "Utopia Station" (Collaboration with Kirsten Pieroth), 50th Venice Biennial, I
- "Influence, Anxiety, and Gratitude (Toward an Understanding of Trans-generational Dialogue as a Gift Economy)", MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, USA
- "Global Navigation System", Palais de Tokio, Paris, F
2002
- "Hossa", Centro Cultural Andracx Mallorca, E
- "Rent-a-bench", Street Project, LosAngeles, USA (cat.)
- "Strike", Wolverhampton Art Gallery, UK (cat.)
- "Zusammenhänge herstellen", Kunstverein Hamburg, D (cat.)
- "Ökonomien der Zeit", Museum Ludwig, Köln/Akademie der Künste, Berlin, D/Migros Museum, Zürich, CH (cat.)
- Werkleitz-Biennale, Werkleitz, D (cat.)
- "The collective unconsciousness", Migros Museum, Zürich
- "Centre of Attraction, 8th Baltic Triennial of International Art", Contemporary Art Center, Vilnius, Litauen
2001
- "Pedigree Pal – Neudefinition von Familie", Shedhalle, Zürich, CH (cat.)
- "Arbeit, Essen, Angst", Kokerei Zollverein, Essen (cat.)
- "Frankfurter Kreuz", Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt/M., D (cat.)
- "Neue Welt", Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt/M., D (cat.)
- "New Settlements", Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center, Kopenhagen, DK
- "Inside space/Experiments in redefining rooms", MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, MA (cat.)
2000
- "All you can eat", Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig, D (cat.)
- "No swimming", Kunstverein München, D (cat.)
- "Momentum", Moss, N (cat.)
- "[re:songlines]", halle_für_Kunst e.V., Lüneburg, D (cat.)
- "German Art in Moskau", House of Artists, Moskau
1999
- "The work in this space is a response to the existing condition and/or work previously shown within the space", neugerriemschneider, Berlin, D
- "Dispensing with Formalities", Recent works/Jacob Fabricius, DK
- "Kraftwerk Berlin", Aarhus Kunstmuseum, DK (cat.)
- "S", Recent Works/Jacob Fabricius, Kopenhagen, DK
- "Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are", Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin, D
1997
- "speisen, der umbaumraum", Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, D
1996
- Filme, Klubhaus, Frankfurt a.M., D
- "Kunst & Zeil", Projekt: Portikus, Frankfurt a.M., D
- "Exiles", Overgaden, Exhibitionspace of the Minestry of Culture, Kopenhagen, DK
- "Aktion: Lars Erik Frank, Henrik Olesen", Update, Kopenhagen, DK
1995
- "Art against AIDS", Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Kopenhagen, DK
| Bibliography (selected):
2004
- exh. eat. "Henrik Olesen", Secession Vienna, Austria
2003
- exh. cat. "Henrik Olesen: Anthology de l'amour sublime", Sprengel Museum Hannover, Germany
- "World Watchers", Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, Berlin, Germany
- exh. cat. "Zusammenhänge herstellen", Kunstverein in Hamburg, ed. Yilmaz Dziewior, text: Astrid Wege, Collapse of Information, pp. 56-62
- exh. cat. "GNS. Global Navigation System", Palais de Tokyo, Paris, pp. 168-173
- Neue Review, Ausgabe 2, Juli, "Henrik Olesen", by John Miller and Aura Rosenberg, pp. 28-29
2002
- Zitty, no.11/2003, "Künstler mit Interessenskonflikt. Henrik Olesen thematisiert die Widersprüche seiner Arbeit", p. 76, Axel John Wieder.
- Der Tagesspiegel, 7. Juni 2003, "Von Mann zu Mann", Raimar Stange, p. 24
- exh. cat. GNS. Global Navigation System, Palais de Tokyo, ed. by Nicolas Bourriaud, Vincent Honoré, Paris, 2003, pp. 168-173
- Sabeth Buchmann, "In Außen der Ingroup Struktur", in: exh. cat.
- "Ökonomien der Zeit", Museum Ludwig, Köln, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, D., ed. Astrid Wege, Hans Christian Dany
- "Henrik Olesen: What is Authority? ", Pork Salad Press, Kopenhagen, DK., Texte von / Texts by Frederikke Hansen, Sabeth Buchmann
- Texte zur Kunst, issue 46, "Anomal lange Finger / Henrik Olesen in der Galerie Buchholz", Brigitte Weingart, pp. 178-183
- Frieze, No. 68., "The collective unconsciousness", Jan Verwoert, p. 116
- Flash Art, Mai/Juni, "Possible Works. Henrik Olesen and Kirsten Pieroth", Jacob Fabricius, pp. 98/99
2001
- exh. cat. [re:songlines], halle_für_kunst Lüneburg e.V., ed.: Bernd Milla, Heike Munder
- Kunst-Bulletin, No. 9, Sept., "minimal Moralia", Raimar Stange, pp. 34-39
- exh, cat. Arbeit Essen Angst, Kokerei Zollverein, Ed.: Marius Babias and Florian Waldvogel, "Alltag, Ausgrenzung", F. Waldvogel
- Berliner Zeitung, August 24, "Arbeiterparadiese ohne Arbeiter", Sabine Vogel
- exh. cat. "Trans Sexual Express", Centre d'Art Santa Mònica, Barcelona, pp. 142-147, 176
- exh.cat. "Henrik Olesen", Studiogalerie Kunstverein Braunschweig,
- exh. cat. "Inside Space. Experiments in redefining rooms", MIT
- List visual Arts Center, Bill Arning, Joel Sanders
- Zitty, no. 1, "Der Jahresrückblick 2000", pp. 42/43
- frieze, Jan.-Feb., "No Swimming", Justin Hoffmann, p. 113
2000
- artist kunstmagazin, no. 4, Nov.-Jan. 2001, "Raimar Stange über Henrik Olesen", Raimar Stange, pp. 20-23
- Kunst-Bulletin, no. 11, Nov., "Henrik Olesen in der Galerie Klosterfelde", Raimar Stange, p. 36
- exh. cat. "All you can eat !", Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig, Stefanie Sembill, pp. 5-6, 44-47
- Texte zur Kunst, Sept., issue 39, "Auf den zweiten Blick", Sabeth Buchmann, pp. 200-203
- zitty, no. 21, "Giraffen sind schwul", Ronald Berg, p. 54
- passepartout. skrifter for kunsthistorie, no. 15, 8. Jahrgang, "Tavshederog forskelle: Repraesentationskritik i et nyt årtusinde. Værker af Henrik Olesen", Sanne Kofod Olsen, pp. 265-273
- nu: The nordic art review, Vol.II, no. 3-4, "A twist in his sobriety", Frederikke Hansen, pp. 60-65
- Flash Art, Mai-Juni, "Henrik Olesen. Helga Maria Klosterfelde", Raimar Stange, p. 120
- exh. cat., "PARK", The main exhibition of Momentum – Nordic Festival of Contemporary Art 2000, pp. 76/77
- Szene Hamburg, 27. issue. no. 3, Feb. "Kein Entweder-oder. Zwischenstufen bei Klosterfelde", Britta Peters, p. 90
1999
- Kunstforum International, Sept.-Nov., "Objects in the rear view mirror", Peter Funken, pp. 361/362
- exh. cat., "kraftwerk BERLIN", Aarhus Kunstmuseum,Heike Föll, pp. 70-77
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