Nils Erik Gjerdevik
New works: Paintings, sculptures and drawings
12 October 2012–27 January 2013
Kunsthallen Brandts
Brandts Torv 1
5000 Odense, Denmark
Nils Erik Gjerdevik holds a unique position in the Danish art world. He makes paintings, sculptures and drawings – and he constantly challenges these media. For almost three decades, Gjerdevik has been the personification of innovation and that is one of the reasons why his art, among other things, has been a source of inspiration for a lot of contemporary artists.
His body of work is both extensive and multi-faceted. It contains elements from several “-isms”, like the abstract formal, but also from architectural form language. Cartoon-like elements meet science fiction, and ornaments and arabesques exist side by side with whirling spirals and tortuous patterns. The result is varied, colourful and brilliant.
The exhibition at Kunsthallen Brandts presents a number of new works by Nils Erik Gjerdevik: paintings, sculptures and drawings made especially for the 800-square-metre gallery. Gjerdevik´s large paintings (2.5 x 4.8 m) unfold themselves and turn into outstanding statements. The concepts of sculpture are examined and reinvented with materials like epoxy, steel and fimo clay. They hang monumentally under the ceiling, where they constitute weightless, colourful manifestations of urban structures.
Opening
The exhibition opens Thursday, 11 October 2012 at 5pm.
An art critic and journalist from Weekendavisen Lisbeth Bonde will open the exhibition. The artist will be present.
Catalogue
Kunsthallen Brandts will publish an illustrated catalogue containing texts by MA and visual artist Christian Foghmar and Henrik Oxvig, Head of Research at Institute of Building Culture, School of Architecture, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
About the artist
Nils Erik Gjerdevik was born in Oslo in 1962. He lives and works in Copenhagen. Gjerdevik attended H.C. Høier´s School of Painting (1982–83) and the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (1984). Over the years, Gjerdevik has been commissioned by institutions like the University of Copenhagen, Amager (2002) and the Opera House in Copenhagen (2004). In 2001, he became a member of Den Frie Center for Contemporary Art, and he was awarded the Eckersberg Medal in 2002.
In 2011, Gjerdevik won the competition “Our Art” initiated by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. The artwork—luminous, coloured electricity poles—is expected to be constructed in the autumn of 2012.
The exhibition is supported by The Danish Arts Council, the Augustinus Foundation and Kunsthallen Brandts’ Sponsor Club.
