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Cecilia Bengolea
'Deary Steel',
2022
Part of: Red Light Green Light 2022.

Kunsthal Charlottenborg exhibition

 

Installation at University of Copenhagen Historic Library, Fiolstræde.

Curator Charlotte Sprogøe

Photo Jan Søndergaard

Bengolea’s new body of work Deary Steel explores the social and materialistic dimensions of the genesis of the industrial era, and its outcome on post-industrial culture and bodily practises. In 1930’s, between the two wars, in Monte Verita a group of pre-hippie naturist dancers created a community in the quest of harmonising their actions with nature. Their dance is rechoreographed by Bengolea in Deary Steel as an alluring choreography of the elements. It shows the moving bodies of ten ballet dancers from the Lyon School of Ballet, superimposing depictions of rituals using fire used to empower and heal. Images of an active European steel plant is set into dialogue with found footage from Manga, Chinese medicine as well as archival footage depicting the struggles of female industrial workers and the leisure activities of their friends and families at the beginning of the twentieth century. The alchemic process in the steel industry draws the artist’s curiosity onto how the elements orchestrate and manipulate our nature, lifestyle and bodies – already carrying the metals inside. Thus evoking a monumental symbolic architecture where industrial knowledge, past social structures and memories converge.

Dancers: Caroline Maquignon, Mathis Nour, Magdalen Wood

Part of Kunsthal Charlottenborg's exhibition 'Copenhagen. Red Light Green Light. Desire, Intimacy & Tension (in the realm of the senses) that shown at Kunsthal Charlottenborg and moves on to locations in the city of Copenhagen. Six international contemporary artists Korean Geumhyung Jeong, Argentinian Cecilia Bengolea, Brittish Cally Spooner, Swedish Ylva Snöfrid, Thai Korakrit Arunanondchai in collaboration with American Alex Gvojic, and Polish Alex Baczyński-Jenkins have been invited by curator Charlotte Sprogøe to present installations, video and performances at six different locations in Copenhagen – portraying the mental state of the world we live in. The exhibition is formed as a living entity, taking shape at various locations throughout Copenhagen, opening at different hours of the day, and different days of the months. Continuously occurring in new variations.

The exhibition is generously supported by:

 Augustinus Foundation, ECCA Family Foundation, Obel Family Foundation, Konsul George Jorck og Hustru Emma Jorck’s Foundation, The Ministry of Culture KUV, Knud Højgaard’s Foundation, The University of Copenhagen, Lemvigh-Müller Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Overretssagfører L. Zeuthens Mindelegat, Spar Nord Foundation, Public Art Agency Sweden, William Demant Foundation.

Video kommissioneret af Esch2022
– European Capital of Culture and Mudam Luxembourg.
 

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