Theories of hydrofeminism and ancient philosophies of the water meet the local quarries of Bornholm within the exhibition Lapidarium
Visual artist Ida Lunden connects the personal with the planetary in her curious studies of different materials, and shows us how “matters matter”. She is fascinated by the fact that all species on earth are made of materials that condense, evaporate, disappear, and appear again as something different. Lunden's practice starts with the body. A body that intentionally and inevitably exchanges with the surroundings all the while it continuously changes and finally degrades. In her sensuous work, she expresses feelings of care, grief and cohesion and decay.
In Latin Lapis means stone, and lapidarium is a term for a collection or exhibition of stones, often used to designate an area where valuable memorials and tombstones are presented. In Lunden's lapidarium, the collection consists of stones found during walks on Bornholm, water vessels made in concrete, sculptures and reliefs cast in plaster. Different found materials has been removed from their previous function and the artist has transformed old works from the studio into new pieces. The water vessels remind us of the coastal landscape of Bornholm, with rock formations containing small pools of seawater, while the concrete castings represents a more dystopian message: Our schools, workplaces, homes, and infrastructure are cast in concrete. Humanity creates through consumption of materials, but the future depend on how we choose to use the planets ressources.
Worldwide, the concrete industry continues to expand. Today, 8 percent of global CO₂ emissions come from production of cement – the main ingredient in concrete after adding gravel, pebbles and water. Cement is made with heated chalk. Chalk consists of lime deposits from prehistoric animals and plants. Gravel and pebbles originate from the last Ice Age. The use of concrete not only raises a critical point within the work itself; the artist also use these materials to remind of those that were here before us. These being previous human generations as well as former geological ages – ancient times when different creatures walked the same Earth as we now, in the time of the Anthropocene, leave to crumble underneath our feet.
Ida Lunden examines how relational qualities between materials and living species come alive within her works. Essentially she casts with care, comfort and community. She invites colleagues into her studio and mold with their bodies, transforms children's old pacifiers and integrates discarded glass into her reliefs. The relational connections materializes next to notions of reproductive labor, and thereby creates an ongoing dialogue between feminist aesthetics, sensuality and sensitivity. Lunden is using the inherent power of arts and crafts to retell old stories from new perspectives. Small heart-shaped, scarab-like "artist brains" crawl around the floor like an invasive species that will inevitably take over the world before we know of it. These small amulets, as the artist calls them, are simply just casted hands. Folded artist-colleagues hands immortalized with water, plaster, ongoing conversations and love.
Through her work as both artist, mother, daughter, partner, friend and being, Ida Lunden attempts to nourish the common body and to facilitate a shared "home" - a mental place from where one can breath.
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Lapidarium is curated by Malou Solfjeld for the exhibition site SOL as part of the program Solastalgia
The exhibition opens on Saturday 2nd September from 16-18h and can be visited every Saturday and Sunday between 12-15h or by appointment, until 30th September 2023
The exhibition has been created with support from the Danish Art Foundation, Øernes Kunstfond and the Obel Family Foundation