ME CONTEMPORARY, NY ADELGADE 7, DK-1104 CPH | MALOU ERRITZØE, +45 21 48 30 26, ME@MECONTEMPORARY.COM
The Female Hand
Morten Viskum's solo show at ME contemporary puts into focus themes as diverse – yet simultaneously interconnected - as immortality, royalty, celebrity, journalism, and politics.
For this exhibition, Viskum has contributed new pieces to a series of works created by 'the hand that never stopped painting,' a project on which the artist has continuously worked since 1998. Since the 'hand' was initially introduced, this painter's toolbox has been expanded to include the 'New Hand' and 'The Black Hand' and now, ME contemporary proudly introduces, 'The Female Hand´.
'The Female Hand' refers to the actual painting tool used to render Viskum's latest project – a severed hand that paints portraits. The hand has engaged herself entirely in the state of immortality, and as such, immortalizes not only herself, but the people who are depicted in her works. The subjects of Viskum´s unique study are icons of Danish media – headliners that Viskum gathered from Danish news and tabloids – including sports, media, politics and royalty figures. Thus, in the unlikeliest of meetings – that of the hand and the portrayed individual – the advances of death are eternally rebuffed.
Morten Viskum, born in Denmark in 1965, lives and works in Norway. He was first educated at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science in Oslo, 1987-1993, and later at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Oslo 1993-1997. Viskum´s veterinary background shines through in many of his projects – including `the hand that never stopped painting`. In this regard his approach is somewhat scientific and laboratorial, and the underlying theme always of an existential nature.
Death – and not least our eagerness to fight the inevitable - is a subject that is given much focus in Viskum's art. When his choice of media is not baby mice, as in the installation “I hope you didn´t die in vain” consisting of 2160 jars each containing a baby mouse, used for scientific testing, or his paintbrush a severed hand, Viskum finds himself the recipient of the Ib Schlytter endowment, and as such, required to supervise his grave at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
For this exhibition, Viskum has contributed new pieces to a series of works created by 'the hand that never stopped painting,' a project on which the artist has continuously worked since 1998. Since the 'hand' was initially introduced, this painter's toolbox has been expanded to include the 'New Hand' and 'The Black Hand' and now, ME contemporary proudly introduces, 'The Female Hand´.
'The Female Hand' refers to the actual painting tool used to render Viskum's latest project – a severed hand that paints portraits. The hand has engaged herself entirely in the state of immortality, and as such, immortalizes not only herself, but the people who are depicted in her works. The subjects of Viskum´s unique study are icons of Danish media – headliners that Viskum gathered from Danish news and tabloids – including sports, media, politics and royalty figures. Thus, in the unlikeliest of meetings – that of the hand and the portrayed individual – the advances of death are eternally rebuffed.
Morten Viskum, born in Denmark in 1965, lives and works in Norway. He was first educated at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science in Oslo, 1987-1993, and later at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Oslo 1993-1997. Viskum´s veterinary background shines through in many of his projects – including `the hand that never stopped painting`. In this regard his approach is somewhat scientific and laboratorial, and the underlying theme always of an existential nature.
Death – and not least our eagerness to fight the inevitable - is a subject that is given much focus in Viskum's art. When his choice of media is not baby mice, as in the installation “I hope you didn´t die in vain” consisting of 2160 jars each containing a baby mouse, used for scientific testing, or his paintbrush a severed hand, Viskum finds himself the recipient of the Ib Schlytter endowment, and as such, required to supervise his grave at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.