Tremulations

Virtual reality works
April: Mark Leckey (world premiere); May: Hilma af Klint; June: Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg (UK premiere)

Installed works
Tony Cokes; Marcel Duchamp; Yayoi Kusama; Grace Ndiritu; Meret Oppenheim; Emanuel Swedenborg; Apichatpong Weerasethakul; items from the Swedenborg House Collection

Curated by Daniel Birnbaum and Jacqui Davies.

Tremulations, an exhibition in three chapters at London’s Swedenborg House, opens with the world premiere of Mark Leckey’s first virtual reality work: The Bridge.

Emanuel Swedenborg’s visionary universe is one of reflections and correspondences. Sacred scripture, he claimed, is a mirror in which we see God. At her request, he once introduced a young girl to an angel: leading her to a corner of his study, he drew back a curtain to reveal a mirror and the girl’s own face. Swedenborg, the author of On Tremulations (1719), envisioned a cosmos in which everything, including seemingly solid objects, vibrates. “In tremulations there are millions of variations”, according to the ninth and final rule of his doctrine.

The exhibition Tremulations, curated by Daniel Birnbaum and Jacqui Davies, presents objects from the rich archives of Swedenborg House as well as writings and works of art by, among others, Marcel Duchamp, Meret Oppenheim, Yayoi Kusama and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Structured according to Swedenborg’s Nine Rules of Tremulation, the exhibition will be presented in chapters manifested in physical, temporal and virtual space at Swedenborg House. Each chapter will include a virtual reality work produced by Acute Art: The Bridge by Mark Leckey (April); Hilma af Klint: The Temple (May); and It Will End in Stars by Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg (June), plus three “corresponding” works of projection. The first of these will be Phantoms of Nabua, by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the second My Blood Self: Civilizations 1 by Grace Ndiritu and the third Testament A (MF FKA K-P X KE RIP) by Tony Cokes.

The exhibition has been organised with the support of Acute Art, Bokförlaget Stolpe, Cabinet Gallery, Charles Asprey, Greene Naftali Gallery, Kate MacGarry Gallery, Parkett Art and Primitive Film.

About the curators
Daniel Birnbaum is the artistic director of Acute Art, a laboratory for art and digital media in London. 2010-2018 he was the director of Moderna Museet in Stockholm. He is a contributing editor of Artforum. In 2009 he curated the Venice Biennale.

Jacqui Davies is a producer and curator working internationally at the intersection between art and film through her London-based production company, Primitive Film. Her film awards include: BFI Vision Award; BIFA Breakthrough Producer (RAY & LIZ); BAFTA-Nominated Producer (RAY & LIZ); ACE Producers Award.

Press preview: Thursday, March 30, 2023, 3–5pm
RSVP: info@swedenborg.org.uk

Private view: Thursday 30 March 2023, 6–9pm
RSVP: info@swedenborg.org.uk

Gallery opening times: Monday–Friday 10:30am–5pm

Exhibition bookings

VR viewing times
Mark Leckey: April 3–26
Hilma af Klint: May 2–June 13
Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg: June 15–30

VR bookings
Variable dates, booking essential: 
markleckeythebridge.eventbrite.co.uk / hilmaafklintthetemple.eventbrite.co.uk / itwillendinstars.eventbrite.co.uk